Chasing Destiny
by mrs-bristow
Summary: HGSS They had been seeing each other for months until Lucius Malfoy found out and decided to ruin their love. Can they find each other again? Set in the trio's final year. not HBP compliant. Rating for detailed rape in first chapter. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer – I own NOOOOOOOOOOOTHIIIIIIIIINNNNG! K?**

Severus looked down at the woman and grimaced. She was a student, he could see the Hogwarts logo sewn onto her robes. He only hoped he didn't know her. It would make this a hell of a lot easier. Lucius looked at him holding out a vile expectedly waiting for his fellow Deatheater to remove his trousers.

Severus grabbed the potion and drank it back. He felt himself harden instantly.

He unzipped his trousers and knelt on the floor beside the girl. He raised her robes and pulled up her skirt. He ripped off her pants and groped aimlessly at her breasts, opening her shirt and pulling them from her bra. The Potions Master turned her over and her breasts touched the cold concrete of the ground. She gasped as they made contact and her nipples hardened. Severus thrust his fingers between her thighs and rubbed at her opening. She moaned softly and began to become moist. Obviously, her own body was betraying her to a Deatheater. Snape still refused to look the girl in the face and bent down to her ear. He whispered

"Its ok. Just relax and it'll all be over. I'm so sorry."

The girl just lay there as he thrust his fingers into her and began to spread her moisture over her opening. His penis throbbed and he knew that he was ready when that ever so familiar drop of salty fluid emerged from the end of him. He pulled his fingers away from her and began to open the girl's legs. He lay her on her back and pinned her shaking hands above her covered head motioning for Lucius to take them from him.

The girls cloak was still covering her face and Severus could hear her soft sobs. He knew why as he had felt it. Her hymen. It was still intact. He was glad that he couldn't see her face. It would haunt his dreams enough without seeing her tear stained face staring back at him. He pushed all thoughts out of his head except for the matter at hand. His job as a spy was hard and it forced him to do immoral things every time he answered a summon from the Voldemort. There was one thing he was certain of though, there was no place for morals in the Dark Lords inner circle.

Snape moved forward and grabbed onto her breasts in an attempt to distract the young girl for he knew that to obtain the amount ofvirginal blood they required for the healing potion, this was not to be an easy ride for her although her reaction to his touch had helped as she would at least be lubricated.

With one hard movement, he thrust into her. She cried out loudly which only proved to increase the amount of pleasure Lucius was getting from this. He began to move more quickly and eventually, his violent strokes began to create the desired effect. She was in fact bleeding and quite a lot as well. Finally, he could sense his release was soon upon him and began to pound harder. Malfoy chose this moment to pull the cloak back from the young woman's face. Snape had only a moment before release to identify her.

Hermione. His sweet Granger.

His face contorted between pleasure and horror as he saw the look of recognition and fear in her eyes. His seed spilled inside her and he collapsed on her chest, sill inside her, breathing heavily.

He could feel the sobs racking through her chest as Hermione cried beneath him.

"I thought I could be strong. Not when I saw it was you. I'm sorry." She loved him. They had been seeing each other secretly for months and she had yet to give herself to him. He had waited patiently, content to simply be with her. He hadn't cared about sex. "I would have given it to you Severus. Surely you know that." She cried as he stroked the side of her face.

"I know." He whispered as Lucius knocked them both out a look of disgust evident on his face.

* * *

The next thing they knew, they were on the floor in a dark, musty room. The one thing they could both be sure of was Voldemort's presence. He was standing over them as they lay. They could hear Malfoy's voice.

"They had been seeing each other prior to this evening my lord. He was obviously on their side. I knew he had been seeing someone. I could see it in his eyes, in his step. All of a sudden, he seemed to have hope. It was disgusting and when my son came home telling me of the amounts of detentions Hermione Granger, close friend of _Harry Potter_ had been getting lately, well it all fit into place. I needed only for him to confirm it, which he did with the look on his face when he saw that it was her."

"Severusssss?" he felt a kick in his side. "Is thissss true? What is going on?" Voldemort hissed.

"I… love… her…" he rasped.

"CRUCIO!" and it all went dark.

He could swear he had herd Potter's voice somewhere in the pain.

* * *

The next thing he knew, he was awaking in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was hovering over him with an eerie smile on his face as always.

"And why, may I ask are you looking so happy?"

"Ahhh my dear Severus, I am happy because… lemon drop?" He offered the bag to the irritated man.

"No, now tell me. What happened?"

"I am happy, because Voldemort is… no more."

"W..w..what?" He managed in reply.

"Harry saw Lucius Malfoy take Hermione. He followed them to where you were and waited outside. After a while, he saw Malfoy take your bodies out and he followed to Voldemort.

He thought you two were dead. His anger overtook him and he burst in mid-crucio. He used all of the training that we have been giving him on focusing his magic through his emotions. Somehow, with the pain of loosing one of his best friends coursing through him, he managed to summon the power of you, Hermione and Lucius Malfoy. They fought, equally until several deatheaters showed up. That proved to be the end for the Dark Lord as Harry's friends and teachers appeared behind the masks, having already bound the followers outside."

"But how?"

"Harry sent Young Mr Weasley back to the castle for help and we just happened upon a crowd of deatheaters on their way to the same place we were."

"How could Harry defeat Voldemort? Its just not possible even with all of the training he's had, Voldemort would still be too strong."

"Well it seems that he had just performed a rather nasty crucio that nearly killed you before Harry burst in. With you, Hermione and Lucius Malfoy's powers surging through his veins along with his own, it was no match. When everyone else joined in, we performed the binding spell we created all those months ago and cursed him into the nearest metal object."

He reached into his robes and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Severus. He carefully opened the container and inside, he found… a screw.

"A screw?" He was horrified. "You contained the Dark Lord inside a screw?"

Dumbledore laughed. "Yes and how better than to spend his eternal life holding up a door in the Ministry?"

"What?"

"Well, followers of his will be looking for the object in which he was placed and sooner or later, the identity of it will come out. So, when they break into the Ministry looking for it. What better to find than a bag full of screws and walk straight out the door with them, the door held up by Voldemort!" He chuckled.

Dumbledore walked away laughing and Snape shook his head. "I always knew you were insane Albus. Now you've proved it." Although he did see the logic in what they had done. As long as Voldemort had no way of getting free, then it was ok by him.

_A/n - And that is the first chapter! I know it's a little graphic and slightly morbid but there are no other nasty scenes like that!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer –See chapter one.**

Snape slowly sat up in bed and looked at the ward. Harry, McGonagall and Ron all surrounded Hermione's bed. They sat with her for some time filling her in on what had happened and much to his dismay, she didn't glance over at him once. Madam Pomfrey asked them to leave for a minute, as she had to speak to Hermione. When all of her friends had left the room, the school's nurse sat on the edge of her bed and waited.

"Do you know what happened in there Miss Granger?"

"Yes I know. I remember it all. Just give me the contraceptive potion and leave me alone." She looked away, humiliated.

"I'm sorry Hermione but i have to ask, do you know who it was?"

Snape's ears perked up as he heard the question.

Hermione looked at the mediwitch, confused."No. I don't know who it was. I just remember the pain and the grunting. I think I must have passed out or something, it's all a bit muddled up at the moment."

Poppy took her hand and nodded. "Well I can give you some contraceptive potion in your tea this afternoon. Its how I plan to administer a pain relief potion to a certain grumpy Slytherin over there."

"Professor Snape's here?" She said as she got up.

"Sit back down Hermione. You can thank him later although he'll probably just throw it back in your face. The only person he's been remotely civil with is Headmaster Dumbledore. You'd think that he'd be happy now that you-know-who is gone."

"Can you leave me alone now please? I really think I should go to sleep." She hated to be so stern with the mediwitch but she was beginning to annoy Hermione. She just wanted to see Severus. She wasn't even injured ebough to miss classes in her opinion and when she had asked Ron to bring her some of her books, Poppy had been stern, she wasn't even aloud one.

"Yes. Yes you need your rest now."

And with that she fumbled her way on out of the hospital wing. As soon as the door shut, Hermione was on her way over to Severus's bed.

She pulled back the curtain and smiled. He looked glad to see her. Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and leaned in to hug him. He winced. His muscles were extremely sore. She pulled back and looked at his worried face.

"Severus, I have something to ask you." She stroked his arm.

"What is it?" He asked pulling her closer. Despite the pain, he never wanted to let her go again.

"I know I was raped. I just want to know who it was. Were you there?"

"You mean you weren't lying to poppy when you said that it was all a blur to you?" He panicked.

"No. I meant it. I have no idea who it was." She slid closer to him needing comfort and he pulled back knowing how upset she would be when he told her that it was he who had hurt her so much.

She looked confused at his coldness.

"What's wrong Severus? Is it what happened to me?" Her eyes welled up.

He nodded gravely.

"I'm so sorry to have betrayed you like that Severus. I wish I could take it back and… and I wont blame you if you never want to see or touch me again." She was getting hysterical. He tried to speak but she cut in. "I know I'm tainted goods now and I'm so sorry. I wanted to save myself for you. Please forgive me." She cried and without warning, ran from his bed and back to her own sobbing as she lay.

Snape tried to call out to her but Poppy re-entered the room with some food for them both. She laid it out and both ate in silence. Hermione drank her tea but Severus slyly poured his out of a near by window knowing that it contained a rather sneaky amount of healing potion of which he did not need.

He felt like a coward. He would rather reject her than have her know it was he who caused her so much pain.

In turn, he wanted to feel all of the pain he deserved.

_An – A bit short I know but it seemed like the best place to leave it. With Severus brooding. How different for him! Later chapters will be longer I promise!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer – see chapter one.**

The next few weeks went by in a blur as life at Hogwarts finally began to regain some form of normality. Snape was awarded a first class order of Merlin by the ministry of magic for all of his help and work in bringing down Voldemort and Harry, Ron and Hermione were all offered placements in Auror training as soon as they graduate from Hogwarts. Hermione was the only one to turn them down. She planned to go to a Wizarding university and study advanced potions.

Severus and Hermione had been deliberately avoiding each other and had been rather successful with his stay in the infirmary and her classes. Until the day he came out. He resumed his classes and realised that they were to have potions together that afternoon.

As she entered the room, not once did she look at Professor Snape. Perhaps if she had, she would have noticed the look of guilt and pain plastered across his face. The bushy haired Gryffindor sat near the back and kept her head down for the whole class. So much that she failed to notice her potion bubbling over and dissolving most of the desk. Snape had no other choice but to give her a detention the following day.

That night as Hermione lay in bed, she realised how much she missed him. His arms around her in the night, his silky voice telling her how utterly Gryffindor she was, and his touch. She missed his touch the most. The way that she would wake up to his hand stroking her face telling her to go back to her rooms and the way he kissed her just before she left.

Snape sat in his rooms trying to remember just what she smelled like so that he could recreate the smell and place it in his rooms forever. After a frantic battle with a house elf, he managed to obtain his dirty washing they had taken from his rooms the night before. The nightshirt she had borrowed was still there and he could smell her on it. Severus remembered how she had gone to the bathroom to change and left him pulling on his own pyjama bottoms. When she emerged, she looked angelic. The garment was long enough to cover everything but when she walked, he could just about get the tiniest glimpse of her white panties.

Back in Gryffindor tower, Hermione started to sob under her covers. Their last night together had been perfect. They had lain together as always and he had kissed her forehead every few seconds just so that she knew how much he loved her. That was when she silently promised that she would give herself to him fully the next night. She had known that she was ready to love him completely.

Her cries continued well into the night as she wished that she had not failed the man she loved so much.

* * *

Ron and Hermione sat in the library waiting for Harry to come back from a meeting with Dumbledore. He had told them that he would be some time. Hermione was catching up on some work she had missed even though she had begged madam Pomfrey to allow her some schoolwork in the ward. She had been refused and told to rest.

"Hermione?"

"Yes Ron?"

"I have something to ask you."

"Ok, what?"

"You might get offended. I don't know whether I should ask, but I need to know the answer. Promise you wont get offended."

"Just ask me. I cant promise not to get offended because that may be my natural reaction and if I feel it automatically, I would be breaking my promise."

"Well in that case maybe I shouldn't ask you." He looked away.

"Just spit it out Ronald." She snapped wanting to get back to her missed work.

"Ok, ok….well… Harry said that when he found you… well I just wanted to know… he said you had…"

"What is it Ron?" She asked impatiently.

"Well Harry said that you had no underwear on and there was blood down your legs." He blurted, turning red.

She was shocked.

"And how exactly did Harry know if I was wearing my undergarments or not?" She could feel salty tears rise in her eyes and threaten to spill out.

"Well he said you were lying on the floor and they were wrapped around your ankle." Hermione's face paled as she had a memory of herself scrambling around on the floor trying to put her pants back on. She could remember the pain in between her legs as she did so.

"Well then I was wearing them then wasn't I?" She sobbed as she ran out of the library. She ran around the corner straight into Draco Malfoy. He smirked at her as she tried to compose herself while lying at his feet.

"Well well well what do we have here Granger?" He sniggered as she tried to get up. Draco easily pushed her back down and bent to whisper in her ear. His voice was smooth and calculated and she could feel his breath on her tear stained cheek.

"It's the Slytherin way to share you know." With that, he licked her ear and bit at her neck. He drew blood before she could push him off.

"DRACO MALFOY WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Snape's voice could be heard all over the castle.

Draco jumped up.

"Nothing sir. She bumped into me and I'm just helping her up. Isn't that right Granger?" They both turned to face her. Snape noticed the tears and the blood on her neck.

"T...th… that's right Professor." She stuttered as she covered her neck and ran for the stairs. On the way, she caught the smirk on Draco's face and the tears began once again.

She didn't, however see the look of seething anger on Snape's face as he turned towards Draco.

**An – Oh boy I wouldn't want to be Draco right now. (Not that his daddy couldn't get him out of anything he got into mind!)Snape's plotting. I can feel it in my bones/fingers typing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer – see chapter one.**

As Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs she rushed into the nearest bathroom and vomited in the sink.

"You'd better clean that up. I don't want it to smell. I have enough trouble getting people to visit me in here as it is."

"Oh just shut up Mertle." Hermione muttered as she retched once again. Luckily the former student didn't hear and carried on with her scolding.

"You were probably messing around with potions. Just thank Merlin that you aren't a cat again. I would."

"For your information, _Moaning_ Mertle. That is what they all call you isn't it? Moaning Mertle? For your information, I was raped not so long ago, by a Death Eater no less. I don't know who it was or how it happened. I've lost the love of my life because of this and I was just accosted by Draco Malfoy." She breathed deeply and continued. " And by the way, people refuse come in here because YOU'RE here not because of any smell." She vomited once again, washed out her mouth and left the bathroom as Mertle's howls became louder and louder.

On her way back towards the Gryffindor tower, she was spotted by a very concerned looking Ron and Harry. They rushed over to her at once as Ron began to grovel.

"Hermione I am so sorry about what I said. I didn't mean for you to…" She cut him off.

"Its ok Ron. I understand that your both worried about me and I'll tell you everything that you want to know." They followed her to the gardens and sat in the grass.

"I know you both want to know what happened and who did what but before you ask, I don't remember much and if I knew names, believe me, the bastard would be dead by now."

"What's going on Mione?" Harry asked.

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly while they waited.

"When I was taken, I was raped. One of those masked wankers violated me. I don't remember who it was. I'm not even sure that I ever saw his face. I just remember it happening while one of them held me down and someone else did it. My robes were pulled over my face and the only thing I really remember about loosing my virginity is the heavy moaning of him as he groped at my chest."

She finished and was surprised to find her eyes dry. Perhaps she had done enough crying in the past few weeks. She sat quietly and waited for them to process what she had said.

Suddenly two sets of arms wrapped around her and hugged her as she trembled.

They stayed like that until it got dark.

* * *

That night was Hermione's detention with Snape. She was dreading it especially after her run in with Draco earlier. She entered the room and looked around. There was a line of ingredients laid out before her and she poked at them recognising the potion from earlier. 

"Miss Granger." The silky calm voice flooded her senses and bought shivers down her spine.

"Erm Professor. I'm here for my detention." She said quietly.

"I know." He looked at her with regret and sorrow knowing that some day he had to tell her what had really happened. "I want you to once again attempt to brew the potion that you ruined earlier."

"Yes sir." She carried on with the preparation and an hour of silence later, as the potion simmered nearly ready, she walked up to his desk. Severus, who was grading papers did not notice her so close in proximity to him. "Professor Snape?"

He jumped spilling ink on his robes.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione yelled as Snape let out an angry hiss.

"Its ok Miss Granger. I was the clumsy one. What did you want?" He said while removing his outer robes and revealing a black shirt and trousers.

"To thank you for always lurking around. I dont know what Draco would have one if you hadn't turned up when you did."

"I thought he was just helping you up." He smirked.

"You know that there was something more to it."

"Then what happened?" Snape asked kindly – for him anyway.

"He sort of made a pass at me i suppose." She replied.

"HE WHAT?" Severus shouted. "I thought he was simply calling you names or being his normal vulgar self but this… What happened exactly?"

She told him and he sat patiently as she explained.

"Continue with your potion and I'll be back soon." With that he was gone and returned a few minutes later as calm as when he had left. He walked over to her, looked into the cauldron and dismissed Hermione.

When she was gone, Snape opened up the door to his rooms and collapsed onto the bed. He closed his eyes and let out a weary breath as he remembered the look of hurt and confusion on Hermione's face as he called her 'Miss Granger' and the fear in her eyes as she had recalled the incident with Malfoy to him.

At least he could be happy in the knowledge that the boy would be punished severely for being caught with Drasen root in his possession at school. When they found the dark herb in his rooms, his father would be very angry and Draco would deny all knowledge which would only make things worse for him.

That night, Severus Snape dreamt about Hermione. He dreamt that they were lying in his quarters in each others arms. He could smell her scent as she snuggled closer into his embrace. She was able to reach up and kiss him whenever she wanted too and for Hermione, this dream was heaven.

They were both experiencing it at the same time and were both equally surprised when the dream continued through the night as they continued to kiss and cuddle each other, dozing and smiling.

It was the best nights sleep either of them had experienced in a long time and occurred because for one short moment, they could relish in each other once again and wouldn't spend the night pining for the other.

**An – Drasen root is my own creation. I'm not sure what it is used for in my mind but be assured that when I do think of something, its purposes shall be extremely nefarious!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer - see chapter one.**

At breakfast, Hermione endured smirks from Draco and looks of sympathy and support from her friends. Dumbledore made a short announcement on behalf of professor sprout saying that the students who poured potions on her plants would be found out and punished as Professor Snape would be investigating the dead plants and determine the potion and its purpose.

Snape had heard her moan on and on about the potions until he had agreed to investigate for her. He hoped to catch Draco out before the end of the day or at least he hoped that someone else would. This happened at midday when a house elf came running into the dungeons where Dumbledore, Snape and Sprout were discussing the dead plants.

"Headmaster, Headmaster. I is finding this in Mister Malfoy's room. Under his bed it was. Fringy was just cleaning when he found it sir." The small elf held up the packet of Drasen root at arms length.

Dumbledore took it from him recognising it immediately as a dark root and exited the room. Later that day, Draco was suspended and sent home to his father.

Severus had decided that he needed to speak to Hermione and tell her what had happened. Anything was better than her blaming herself and thinking he had rejected her.

He stood outside the Gryffindor common room and paced. He had no idea what he was going to say but he knew that he had to say it before she remembered and things got worse. Harry and Ron came up behind him.

"Snape." Ron said with pure loathing.

"That's _Professor _Snape to you Weasley." Snape sneered. "I need to talk to Miss Granger." His eyes narrowed. "Fetch her."

"Why? What do you want from her? She's been through so much lately and I don't think a lecture from you would be welcome." Harry sneered up at his most hated Professor.

"You will watch your lip Potter. Fifty points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn to a Professor, now go and get Miss Granger.

"Tell us what you need to tell her and we'll inform her when we see her." Ron offered, not budging an inch under Snape's glare.

"It is between Miss Granger and myself. I doubt she'd be very pleased if she knew that you kept her from information she has been longing to find out."

Harry's eyes widened. "You know what happened to her don't you?"

"I wish to speak with Miss Granger, Mr. Potter." Severus replied.

Both boys sighed and Harry seemed to stop Ron from saying something else. They whispered the password to the fat lady and the door to the Gryffindor domain swung open. They disappeared inside and reappeared with Hermione in tow. She whispered something to the boys for a while and they stopped in their tracks looking very upset and went back inside.

"What did you say to them?" Snape asked as they started down the corridor.

"I told them to leave me alone and if they really cared about me then they would go inside and start their transfiguration essays so that we could discuss them when I get back." She smiled. "They haven't even got to be in for another week and I accidentally told them that they had to be an extra foot than needed too. They could do with the practice." She smiled to herself nervously.

"A Slytherin would have taken a foot from it not added one."

"Well its good for my friends that I'm not inclined that way then isn't it?" She looked at him quizzically. "What is it that you wish to discuss?"

"I wish to talk about that night with you." They were approaching his classroom but to Hermione's surprise, they went straight past and entered Severus's private rooms. She had been there many times of course but not since the night in question.

"What's going on Professor Snape?" Hermione questioned as he took down the wards. She stood at the doorway and from the look on her face, she was refusing to budge until he explained his actions.

"I know more about that night than I told you. I led you to believe a lie and I know who it was that hurt you." Snape sighed as her face seemingly broke down with confusion etched all over. She nodded and entered the rooms sitting on the leather sofa in front of the fire. It was where she had always sat to do her work in the evenings. Severus had always sat on the floor by her feet and watched her as her nose wrinkled when she took in the information. He had loved that part of their evening almost as much as he had loved holding her in his arms when they slept. It had been so domestic in the midst of the war and helped him to get through with the promise of a lifetime like that when it was over.

"Well?" She bought him from the memory in a second. He sat next to her on the sofa and turned to face her.

"I haven't been honest with you Hermione. I have led you to believe that what happened to you repulsed me and that I was ending our relationship. This was a lie. A lie of omission through my own cowardice and fear of loosing you forever."

"Fear of loosing me? How?" She looked into his eyes and he looked away. Unable to watch her reaction, he stared into the fire and spoke.

"That night, Lucius bought me to the place he was holding you and told me that the Dark Lord wanted a new and rare ingredient for an elixir he was creating. He told me that he needed the blood of a girl taken by rape and he needed a fair amount. It is a prime ingredient in many dark potions and I didn't think twice about the truth of his request."

He chanced a look at her. She seemed to be deep in thought and he continued. "I told him that it was very hard to come by and very expensive. What I would manage to obtain would most probably be tainted or fake anyway." Hermione nodded knowing this from some of the Advanced Potions texts she had read.

"Lucius said that he already knew this and they had another plan. He asked me to follow him to another room and I saw a bundle of robes on the floor. I immediately recognised them as Hogwarts and knew what he was about to do." Hermione gasped and looked at Severus staring into the fire.

"Did you know that it was me he was going to use?" She asked.

"No. Not at first and that's not all of it. The thing is, he didn't do it. Instead he indicated for me to. When I asked why, he said that Narcissa would know if he had been with another woman and the Dark Lord agreed that I should do it, so…"

He took a deep breath and faced her.

"So I did."

**An – Dun dun dun! I am so deliciously evil that I decided to leave it there! Review and I might reward you with the next chapter soon since it is already written and waiting!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer - see chapter one.**

Hermione looked at Severus for what seemed like an age before she spoke.

"_You_ raped me?" She waited for a reply but all he could do was look away from her, to the floor. She took a shaky breath and continued.

"_You_ were the one who brutally took my innocence and didn't tell me. You let me believe that you didn't want me because I was damaged goods and all along, _you_ were the one to blame?" She shouted as tears streamed down her cheeks. The room whirled as everything she had been sure of, now crumbled beneath her.

Severus walked over to her and grasped her arms.

"Hermione I couldn't. I didn't want you to have to face me knowing that it was me who did it to you. I thought that you would be better off thinking that it was just some random Deatheater. I know I was wrong now. I know that I should just have told you from the beginning and I only hope that you can forgive me in time."

She pulled herself from his grasp and stepped back shaking her head.

"_Forgive _you? You want me to forgive you? Severus, I love you. I would have given myself to you fully and now I feel horrible. Severus, the one person that I thought could get me through this, the one person that would keep me strong, is the person who caused all of this. I can't even talk to you about this because all you will feel is guilt. You can't tell me that the person who attacked me will get their comeuppance because we both know that I will never reveal who it was now. I care far too much about you to let that happen."

Severus's eyes were beginning to moisten as he saw the only woman he had ever loved begin to hate him. Hermione looked at him and as though she had suddenly realised something, her eyes narrowed in suspician as she asked, "Have you ever been made to rape someone before?" He looked at her. Now was the time to be truthful. Even if it hurt her more.

"Yes. I was made to twice before." She made no comment and he continued as she walked over to the window. "The first time, I was much younger. It was a young muggle woman. She looked about 20. They had taken her from her home and bought her to the Dark Lord as a gift. He made me take her in front of the inner circle to prove my loyalty in joining his most faithful. She was so frightened and I tried to be as gentle as I could. I gave her a contraceptive potion straight afterwards. They thought that I had killed her, that it had been a poison, but I simply couldn't. I obliviated her and took her back to where they had taken her. She didn't even know what had happened to her the next day."

"And the second?" She asked without looking back at him.

"The second was more brutal. It wasn't that long ago. It was before you and I." He added. "She was a prostitute that they had captured for fun. Everyone had their turn as we were expected and no-one dared refuse as Lucius had set up the occasion as a show for the new recruits. She just lay there and let everyone have their turn. When we were all finished, Lucius took her away and killed her. There was nothing I could do that time." He finished.

"After that, there was only me?" She sobbed.

"Yes. You were next. Hermione I didn't know that it was you. I couldn't see your face…"

"LIKE THAT MATTERS. Are you trying to say that if it would have been another student and not me then it would have been ok?"

"I'm not saying… actually I am saying that of sorts. I love you Hermione and I would give anything to relieve your suffering. If that means wishing awful things on others rather than on you, then so be it. I am a very selfish man and I believe you know that."

Hermione gasped.

"You've never told me that before... that you love me i mean." Her voice was a shocked whisper.

"I know. I was too afraid. I said it out loud for the first time when we were captured even though I knew He would punish me. I just wanted to admit it to someone, anyone before I died. I needed to let someone know that I had fallen in love and that you were the recipient of my feelings."

"I love you too, but you already knew that. You knew that all along didn't you?"

"I must confess, I did. I assumed you knew about my feelings as well even though I wasn't as obvious as you but I must have kept them hidden too well."

There was a silence as neither of them had anything more to say. Finally, Hermione broke it.

"I have a lot to think about now Severus so I'll see you in the morning." She sighed and stood to leave. He barely caught what she said but was shocked by what he thought he heard.

"I am glad that it was you."

"What?"

"In a way, I'm glad that it was you. It's better than thinking that someone I didn't know or care about had used me. In some weird way, I'm glad it was the man I love rather than Lucius Malfoy or a Deatheater."

"But I _am_ a D…"

"You were never a Deatheater Severus and for all those times you wronged, you made up for it a million times over when you helped the order or when you helped Harry." She said sternly.

The young Gryffindor couldn't look him in the face. She turned towards the door.

When she was gone Severus thought of the last thing she had told him when they saw each other before that night. She had said she needed to tell him something extremely important. Perhaps she had wanted to confess her love officially. Perhaps she had wanted to publicise their relationship. After all, she was over the legal age and there was nothing in the Hogwarts rulebook that said he couldn't get involved with an of age student. Plus, it was a purely platonic relationship anyway.

* * *

The next few days were uneventful and Ron and Hermione were sitting in the great hall eating breakfast when Harry came bursting in. 

"Hermione, Ron! You'll never guess what!" He breathed heavily.

"Well? Tell us then Harry." Hermione smiled.

"Yesh te'ush." Ron said with a mouthful of toast spraying it all over Hermione.

"Its Sirius. He's coming to stay here at Hogwarts. He and Professor Lupin are going to be working on defence against the dark arts together. Sirius will teach us for the days before, during and after the full moon. They were the terms and conditions of the ministry when they re-instated Professor Lupin this afternoon and as Sirius was cleared of all criminal records when Wormtail's body was found, he was the obvious choice." He panted.

"Oh my gosh Harry that's wonderful." Hermione hugged Harry.

"Its bloody brilliant!" Ron chimed in. "When will they be here?"

"They were on their way when they wrote this so they should be here soon. They all left the hall to meet Sirius and Remus as they arrived later that morning.

Albus was getting worried about his Potions Master. He had been taking an unusually large amount of house points from the students lately. Even his own house had suffered a severe drop in points since he returned to teaching from the hospital wing. He made a mental note to keep an eye on him and the way that he kept on staring at the Gryffindor table during breakfast.

The doors to the school burst open and Sirius ran in scooping Harry into an enormous hug.

"My word Harry, you _have_ grown! Ron I think your hair's gone a shade redder and Hermione… Hermione how you have blossomed." He winked. She smiled. Ever since she had hit puberty, Sirius had been ever so willing to tell her how much he fancied her. Harry and Ron didn't mind. They knew that their good friend had become a horny old dog since his name was cleared and Hermione didn't seem to mind all of the attention so everyone was happy.

Except Snape that is, who had always wanted to curse him to hell every time he so much as looked at her.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, Remus and Sirius spent the evening catching up in the Gryffindor common room and laughed well into the night.

Severus walked past there every hour asking the portraits if anyone had left since he last came by untill the hour when he was informed that the two guests had left together and would not be allowed back in until morning. He was then free to go back to the dungeons as Sirius was on his way to his own rooms. Leaving Hermione alone.

**an - coming up: more angst and a weepy hermione decides to stop moping and get on with her life! Thanks for the reviews guys! i love hearing that people are enjoying my story! i makes us authors very very happy so please continue to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**An - A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I went on holiday and when i got back i had all of the lovely reviews for the last chapter and they really cheered me up!**

The next morning, Hermione and Ron sat at the breakfast table once again waiting for Harry. When he finally walked in, he had a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Mornin'."

"Harry what took you so long?" Hermione asked.

"I was talking to Sirius. Dumbledore is making them teachers right away, well Professor Lupin anyway. It turns out that the next two full moons are in the Christmas holidays and then on a weekend after that so Sirius doesn't officially need to be a teacher yet."

"Well what's he going to do in the mean time?" Asked Ron.

"Well hang out with his favourite godson of course and teach us some of his tricks." Harry exclaimed excitedly. "One week till the Christmas holidays start and the fun begins. We have the Yule ball and then Christmas and new year to look forward to."

"The next few weeks are certainly going to be the best in a long time. No you-know-who to worry about and good times all the way." Ron said as he finished Hermione's untouched toast. "What's wrong?" He asked while munching away.

Nothing. I Just feel a little queasy that's all." She said as a certain set of black robes swooped into the hall. She stared at Snape as he sat down and they locked eyes. Hermione made her excuses and went back to the Gryffindor common room.

"What's up with her?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged "I'll ask her in class." And they carried on with breakfast.

On the way back Hermione met Ginny who looked more upset than Hermione felt.

"What's wrong Ginny?"

"Well I think Harry's going to ask Lavender to the Yule ball and you know how I feel about him. I just need a dress to knock his socks off and then he'll realise who he should have taken. The thing is, I have no money to buy a new dress and all of my dress robes are hand me downs from boys that my mom's tried to make feminine. I look frumpy in all of them Mione. What am I going to do?"

"Well that's certainly a lot to take in at the moment Gin." Hermione smiled warmly. "Lets see. I don't think I can help you with the Harry problem but you are looking at the girl who can transfigure anything. We'll create you a new dress from some old robes and you'll look fantastic!"

"Oh Hermione how can I ever thank you?"

"I haven't done anything yet. It may not turn out like you wanted."

"It will. I have no doubts. I'll meet you in my rooms on Friday after potions and we can create a masterpiece." Ginny hugged Hermione and carried on to class.

Hermione smiled to herself. At least she had managed to make someone happy in all of this mess and she didn't even have a date yet. She thought about Severus for the twentieth time that day and sighed. She really needed to speak to him. She just wished things could go back to the way that they were before but she knew that it would be impossible. With another sigh, she decided that she needed to tell him what she had been thinking about. She needed to finalise things between them and get on with her life. She went down to the dungeons to catch him before the mornings classes.

Severus had spent the last few days moping in his rooms. All he could think about was Hermione. He couldn't concentrate on anything else. She had obviously avoided him at breakfast and he now knew that she must have been doing it all week. He looked up from the marking he was trying to squeeze in before class as he heard a small knock on the door.

"Enter."

Hermione opened the door and stepped through to the classroom. Severus was surprised to see her but glad all the same.

"Erm.. Professor I wanted a word. Is that ok?"

"Yes of course Hermione, I didn't expect to see you down here." He motioned for her to sit down. She did so and replied.

"I don't have long. I have to go to class soon but I came by to tell you that I've thought about things and I don't think I want to be with you." She shhok her head and wrinkled her nose at her own wording. "No. I _know_ I _cant_ be with you. You're my teacher and however we feel about each other, we shouldn't carry on together. I just cant forgive you for what you did to me."

Severus slammed his hands on the table making her jump. "I had to Hermione. Don't you see. We would have both been killed by Lucius."

"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about when you let me believe that you didn't want me because of what had happened to me. When you kept vital information from me and made me believe some unknown person had taken my innocence.You lied to me and made me feel worthless, tainted and used. I can't trust you anymore. You've changed Severus and not for the better."

"Hermione I…"

"You what?" She snapped. "And its Miss Granger to you." She didn't give him a chance to reply and stormed from the classroom. It hadn't gone as she had expected but he made her so mad that she had to leave before she said something that she would regret.

How dare he assume she would ever be angry about what he had to do.

Did he think so little of her?

Did he even know her at all?

He didn't even known why she had been mad. That self absorbed, arrogant prick. Trust him to prefer wallowing in self pity about something he was forced to do rather than facing the fact that he lied and hurt the person he loved all of his own accord.

She stormed out of the dungeons and bumped straight into Draco Malfoy. Hurtling to the floor, the books she had been holding flew out of her hands.

"Is it your life's work to keep bumping into me in abandoned corridors Granger?"

"Fuck off Draco and leave me alone."

"My, my feisty aren't we? Your the one that insists on running into me all the while." He sneered. "Not that I mind." He said as he grabbed her behind. Since his father got him reinstated in school after two days suspension, he had been walking around like he owned the place.

"Get off you pervert and don't ever touch me like that again." Hermione shouted as Draco stooped to pick up the books she dropped.

"Oh come on now mudblood, my father said you'd be practically begging me for it after your display for him." He sneered.

"Display?… Display?… He had me raped for his own pleasure and then tells you I was good? Ugh. You make me sick. I'm glad your Lord is dead. He was as crazy as you all are. I hope your father rots in prison forever." Hermione retaliated. Seeing the satisfied grin appear on Draco's face, she questioned whether she had been entirely correct in what she had said.

"What are you sneering about?" she asked.

"Well I just thought you'd like to know that my father was released from all charges yesterday. Turns out he had no idea what the dark… er… I mean Voldemort had planned and he was under imperious curse. Its so upsetting that he was forced to do all of those things under the curse. Don't you think?"

"Ugh. That's low, even for you. You're lying scum, the lot of you. Now get out of my way." Draco blocked every path she chose. "I said get out of my way Malfoy."

Draco raised his hand to Hermione and Stopped as he heard someone approach.

"I'd listen to the lady if I were you." A low, smooth voice said from behind Hermione.

_Lady? Who around this place thought of her as a lady?_

"Fine. I'll see you around _Mione_." Draco added as he walked away.

Hermione turned around cringing at his use of her nickname.

"Sirius!" She ran and hugged her rescuer. "What are you doing down here? Oh and thank-you by the way." She exclaimed.

"I was going to get Remus his standing order of wolfsbane from Professor Snape before he started teaching. What about you? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" He glared at her friendlily.

"Well I was on my way but obviously decided that listening to Draco insult me was much more worth my time." She smiled.

"I see. Classified? Well you'd better get to class. We wouldn't want the sexiest Gryffindor that Hogwarts has ever had, bar me of course, getting a detention now would we?" He winked.

Hermione smiled flicking her hair and walked away. When she got to class, she was lucky as Professor Binns was too busy droning on to even notice that she was even missing in the first place and she was able to sneak into her chair.

That night Hermione sat in her bed in the head girls quarters and thought about the conversation she had, had with Severus. It was strange being in this bed but as the weeks went on she was getting used to it. She remembered when she would sneak back just before the school began to awake and get dressed for class. She hadn't slept in her room for a long time.

She wondered if she had done the right thing. Seeing Snape so hurt when she had broken it off reminded her of how hurt she had been when she thought that she wasn't good enough for him since that night. The frizzy haired girl turned over and slipped into a troubled sleep.

**An - dont worry, Severus goes back to his evil ol' self soon enough. We can't have him moping forever!**


	8. Chapter 8

Friday came quicker than Hermione had been expecting and today was her last double potions before the holidays. If she could just make it through the afternoon then she could start to enjoy the holidays.

Snape was in an unusually cheerful mood – for him – and he had only taken 60 points from Gryffindor so the day really was looking to end on a good note when Neville went to put 25 stalks of ginger root in his cauldron instead of 2.5 stalks. Hermione noticed of course and stopped him. She stood over his potion and attempted to help him when she noticed a looming black shadow over her shoulder.

"And what do you think you are doing Miss Granger?" Asked Snape.

"Well I was just helping Neville here. You see he was about to…"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO DO MISS GRANGER! MY CLASSROOM 7.00pm SHARP TONIGHT. Is that clear?"

"Yes Professor." She yelped.

"Good and now I'm sure you will be more than willing to show Mr. Longbottom what needs to be done wont you?" He sneered.

"Yes sir." She said while throwing an apologetic glance at Ginny who was waiting for Hermione outside the classroom to talk about the dress Hermione was going to transfigure for her.

Hermione waited for the class to clear out before approaching Snape's desk.

He looked up. "What do you want Miss Granger? I am extremely busy and don't have time for you and your know it all ideas."

"Well I just wanted to…"

"To what?" He interrupted.

"To… to tell you that Draco Malfoy, well… he…"

"Miss Granger, what did Malfoy do?" There was a hint of concern in his voice that he managed to hide very well.

"It doesn't matter." She sighed as she turned to leave. In his current state of mind, Professor Snape was more likely to congratulate Draco on his threatening behaviour. The man she loved unconditionally grabbed her arm and stopped her from leaving.

"Hermione please. What's happened?" The look of concern was no longer hidden as Severus let his guard down.

"Don't. I shouldn't have come to you its just that… well he scares me and I don't know what he would have done if Sirius hadn't been there."

"Black? What could _he_ do?" Snape sneered.

"Well he scared Draco off for one, and then he escorted me to class. He's quite charming when he wants to be." She smiled.

"Well we all know what he wants." The jealous man replied.

"Well at least he wouldn't lie to me." Hermione snapped back.

That evening at dinner, with Ginny babbling about her dress to Ron and Harry and Snape giving Sirius dirty looks across the dinner table, no-one noticed the bushy haired Gryffindor pushing yet another plate of food away and hurrying to the out of order girls bathroom.

At 7.04pm, Hermione knocked on the classroom door nervously. She was a few minutes late and wondered if he had noticed.

"Come." Came the deep voice from inside.

She opened the door.

"Professor, I'm here for my detention." She had made arrangements with Ginny for first thing in the morning. After all, it was three whole days before the Yule ball.

"Yes Miss Granger I know. I was the one who issued it. You will help me research the potion used on these plants presumably to kill them. Headmaster Dumbledore insists that I find out."

"Yes sir. Where do I start?"

"Well you shall grind them and I shall experiment on the remains. When the first few ingredients are established, it will be easier to calculate what happened."

"Where were the plants?" She asked as she sat down and rolled up her sleeves.

"They were on the west side of the grounds underneath the windows for the infirmary and the spare hall used for dormitories for long term patients. Why?" He passed her a section of leaf to grind and a pestle and mortar.

"Well I was wondering if it was an accident. If someone had thrown something from a window or if they had spilled it on their way somewhere." Hermione added some base powder to form a paste that they could liquefy.

"That is a possibility. I have doubts as to why someone would want to purposely destroy flowers. It seems pointless. Frivolous really and I don't see why we should spend our time investigating such a pointless act. What will they do when they know what killed the plants? Try to find a cure?" He scoffed. Hermione added water from the filter into the cauldron and set her mixture onto the flame.

As it bubbled, she walked over to Snape and investigated what he was doing. He had separated the veins from the leaves and was adding a blue powder to them. The second one fizzed and he frowned.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"This section seems to the use of an ingredient used in birth control and abortant potions. It incapacitates the eggs produced by a woman during ovulation, fertalised or not. We won't know what other ingredients were used until your part is finished."

"What if some student was going to have an abortion but decided against it? What if she's out there pregnant as we speak?" She gasped.

"Oh do calm down Miss Granger. It is most probably some form of contraceptive and I dare say, none of your business." Snape growled as he reached over and stirred her cauldron. "Nearly done now. I suppose you have helped enough he said looking at the time. You go back to your dorm."

She nodded and left the room. On her way back to the head's quarters, Hermione met a familiar black dog wondering the corridors. In a second, Sirius Black was standing beside her.

"Hermione, always sneaking up from the dungeons. Anyone would think that you had a death wish or something with all those Slytherins being so close by."

She smiled. "And Sirius, always the one to come to my rescue. Anyone would think _you_ had another agenda."

"As you know perfectly well, I think of you as a friend and nothing more Hermione and that is why I would like to ask you to accompany me to the Yule ball. As a friend." Sirius looked genuine and wasn't joking for once. "You could be my date but not on a date!" He winked.

At that moment, Snape, who was on his way to Madame Pomfrey, approached the scene.

"I'd love to be your date to the Yule ball Sirius." Hermione laughed and hugged him. She knew that he wouldn't pressure her for anything more than a few dances and he would make sure she got back to her quarters safely.

Severus's heart fell. She was over him. She was dating that mongrel Black and hadn't given him a second thought. He hid around the corner until they were out of sight and carried on his way.

Poppy Pomfrey was sitting at her desk attending to the notes she had made during the day.

_George Wallow – broken arm, third year, Quidditch practice. – Ravenclaw._

_Simple bone fixing spell and a nights bed rest._

_Samantha Mc Badderich – a small tail, first year, transfiguration misshap. – Gryffindor. _

_Shrinking potion rubbed on the area and a check up tomorrow._

_Elle Swanson – rash on cheek, fourth year, reaction to make-up. – Slytherin._

_Applied a soothing balm. To be added daily for a week._

_Charles Danter – several…_

Suddenly, Professor Snape came bursting through the doors and entered the infirmary.

"Madam Pomfrey, I am sorry to disturb you but I need some information that you may be reluctant to give me."

"Good evening Severus and to what do I owe that overly dramatic entrance?" She asked while packing away her notes.

"I need to know the names of all the students you have administered emergency contraceptus potion to in the last six months."

"Why would you need that?" She asked suspiciously. "Was there something wrong with the batch? Will it not work?"

"No, no. The batch was fine. I need to know because one of them didn't use it. They threw it in the flower bed outside and I know it was one administered by you as I recognised it. I made it." He waited patiently.

"Ok, well it'll take me a few weeks to go through every day for the last six month's files and what with the ongoing injuries we seem to have around here, I'm surprised I get anything done. I'll give it to you as soon as I can." With a swish of black, he was gone.

The next morning, Hermione awoke with a sigh. She looked down at the package she had fallen asleep holding. It was Severus's Christmas present. She had got it on her last trip home from muggle London. She wished they could go back to then and still be happy. She was in such a mess. She spent the days trying to forget about him and the nights remembering his smell, his touch and dreaming of better times. At least she had the ball to look forward to.

At breakfast, she hardly ate anything as she was once again feeling queasy. This had been happening a lot since she broke up with him. The loss of appetite and the sudden urge to vomit when she thought about what he had done.

"Mione, please eat something. You've hardly eaten anything since the accident and we're worried about you." Ron said as she pushed her plate of nibbled toast away and stood to leave.

"Yeah and moaning Mertle told me that you keep being sick in her sinks too." Harry added a little grossed out.

"Ugh, I think your right you know. I must be coming down with something. I feel a little…" and with that, the world went black.

Snape had seen her sway and caught her before the others even realised what she was saying. He took her straight to Madam Pomfrey with her friends in tow. When she began to regain consciousness, she realised that she was lying on a bed in the hospital wing. Poppy fretted about her taking scans and handed her a pepper up potion. She could hear her friends from behind the curtain.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Asked Ron. "She was standing there and then the next thing I knew, _he_ was carrying her to the hospital." He motioned to Snape who was sitting over the other side of the beds waiting to see what was wrong.

Hermione listened carefully to hear what had happened and who had bought her to Madam Pomfrey.

"I know. I didn't even see her fall." Harry added.

"That, boys is because you were too busy stuffing your faces to notice your friend fainting." Came a smooth voice from behind them.

Hermione recognised the voice immediately and her heart skipped a beat as she realised that he must have been watching her to notice her swaying.

"Tut, tut boys. Stop all of this arguing now your friend needs you. She's awake and confused. Fill her in on what happened while I have a word with professor Snape here." Madam Pomfrey ushered them towards the curtain.

The boys walked behind the it and jumped onto the bed alongside their friend.

"Professor, I have the list you wanted but I'm afraid we may have found the culprit and she's sitting in that bed." She motioned to Hermione's current abode.

"Miss Granger? It can't be. She was as anxious to find out what the potion on the flowers was as… well not me, but she was anxious… perhaps a little too anxious and she _did_ want to help me find out what it was… or cover her tracks." He grimaced. "When did you give her the potion?"

"The morning after you and she came back from the last battle. The thing I don't understand is, why would she want to keep her attacker's baby. She didn't even know who the father was." Madam Pomfrey thought aloud.

"Or did she?" Snape tore off in the direction of the immobilised Gryffindor.

**An – tut tut Sev, assuming again… silly wizard! **


	9. Chapter 9

**An – Thanks for all the lovely reviews. The latest have really made me smile and are what caused me to update!!**

Entering the small space occupied by the golden trio, he shoed two thirds from the hospital wing. Harry and Ron shouted promises of visits as they were ushered out of the door.

Severus sat on the bed and looked at Hermione.

"Why did you lie to me?" He looked furious.

"What? When have _I _lied to _you_?" She snapped.

"You pretended that you knew nothing of that night and then threw your contraceptive potion in the flower bed. Although Merlin knows why you wanted my child. The least you could have done was tell me you insufferable bint. What on earth possessed you to throw away your future like that?"

"What… the … hell… are… you… talking… about?" Hermione seethed only hearing half of what he had shouted about.

"The fact that you deceived me into guilt when you know exactly what happened that night and then you deliberately threw your…"

"Contraceptive potion on some plants. Yes, yes, yes I heard you but I have no idea what you are talking about." Her face dawned with realisation and then shock. "Are you oh so gently telling me that I'm pregnant?" She hoped that she was wrong in her assumption.

"Do not continue to lie to me Hermione. I loved you. I thought I knew you. As it turns out, you are just another immature young girl, playing games in the grown up world and if you want to throw your life away with a child, then so be it but it was not my decision so don't expect any help from me."

"Don't worry _Professor_ I wontI've had enough of you and your accusations for one lifetime."

Snape stood up furiously and swung the curtains open knocking the pole over. He practically flew from the infirmary back to the dungeons for morning classes.

Madam Pomfrey picked up the curtain rail and put it back in place.

"I didn't do it." Hermione spluttered in shock.

"Hmmm?"

"I didn't do it. I took every last drop of the potion. I was so afraid and confused that I gulped it down without thinking of anything. I definitely took the contraceptive potion and I haven't thrown anything in the flowers."

"Well the question is, how did you end up pregnant after taking the potion and who's potion was that in the garden?" Poppy added as she smoothed the girls hair down. "You don't seem too upset by the news."

"Well that is because, contrary to popular belief, I am an adult and I know that crying isn't going to do anything about my condition and I realise that I have a very important choice to make soon and I have to keep a clear head as well." She patted Madam Pomfrey's hand and sniffed.

Poppy wondered when she had missed the bushy haired know it all turn into an intelligent young woman.

Snape stormed through the next few days and anyone who got in his path was extremely unlucky. He spent his nights in a drunken stupor and his days researching possible school rules that had been broken by Harry Potter.

After Hermione's dizzy spell, she was instructed to stay in the hospital wing for a few days and upon her release, it turned out to be the day of the Yule ball.

Ginny walked up the steps of Hermione's quarters and waited. The once bushy haired girl was now transformed. She had used a homemade potion to create soft curls that surrounded her face delicately and her makeup was sensual with brown lipstick and her eyes were outlined in black. She looked divine. Ginny had opted for a similar choice in makeup with her eyes shadowed in dark blue and her lips lined in red. Her hair was up in a bun with soft tendrils framing her face.

"Hi Ginny. You look fabulous but the dressing gown doesn't quite go." She smiled "We need to sort you out a dress." Both girls, clad in their dressing gowns, giggled and sat on the bed. Ginny took an old set of Charlie's dress robes from her bag and laid them out on the bed. "Go and put them on in the bathroom and I'll transform them straight on for a better fit. I'll put mine on while I'm at it."

A few minutes later, Ginny stood in front of Hermione ready.

"So what are you looking for in your new dress?" Hermione asked.

"I was hoping for something in blue, to match my eye shadow. That's why I wore it. I would like for my dress to sort of cling to my curves and accentuate them for Harry to notice without being too sultry. Maybe a halter neck with a straight bodice and the skirt to my ankles with a split up the side?"

"So you want a midnight blue halter neck dress? Hmmm." She waved her wand a few times and then shook her head. With another wave, Ginny gasped.

"Oh Hermione, its perfect. I love it." The bodice was detailed in a silky lace with flowers embroidered around the edge and it looked magnificent with Ginny's curves. "Are you going to do yours now?" Hermione shook her head.

"No. I'm doing mine when you've gone. I'm still not sure what to go with." She smiled. She knew exactly what she was going with. She just didn't want anyone to see her before the ball. She had chosen the colours and style of the dress weeks ago to surprise Severus but now he would just have to admire her in all of his anger.

When Ginny had disappeared, Hermione stood in front of the mirror and imagined the most perfect dress she could. It was black but emerald green when the light shone on it in a certain way. The top half was a tight fitting tank top and the bottom flowed without being puffy. It shimmered in the light and swayed from her hips as she walked. The masses of material were heavy but a simple weightless charm would do the trick for the evening. She picked a black choker with a silver and green charm on the end to match her dress and her nails were painted black. The shoes she chose were plain black and she transfigured a necklace into some black and green beads for her wrist. Small and elegant.

She was finally pleased with the results and grabbed her black silk shawl from her wardrobe on the way out the door.

Everyone was gathered at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Hermione and Ginny. Sirius, Ron, Harry and Ron's date. A Hufflepuff by the name of Cara. Ginny was next to appear at the landing and the look on Harry's face was priceless as she glided down the stairs and stood next to he and Lavender. Her perfume drifting into his nostrils causing him to inhale her deeply. Her date, Neville (Who had asked her as a friend) took her arm and smiled.

Snape stood at the entrance to the hall awaiting anyone to just try and sneak alcohol in. he noticed a group of people including Potter and Black, so he chose to investigate. As he reached the crowd, he saw her. She stood at the top of the stairs and smiled down at everyone. Sirius gasped and smiled up at her. Severus couldn't tear his eyes away. She looked enchanting.

Hermione sailed down the stairs and straight into his arms… _Black's arms_. Severus backed into the shadows before she saw him and waited for them to pass. He watched as the light changed and Hermione's dress glimmered in green. Her shawl draped carelessly about her shoulders sliding down her silky skin. He closed his eyes remembering the feel of her skin and how touching it made her moan under his hands.

Hermione had noticed him just before he ducked into the shadows and noticed the look of awe on his face. She smiled and carried on, determined that he would not ruin her night.

They entered the hall which was filling fast, grabbed drinks and found a table. Sirius went to talk to Remus at the buffet and Seamus and Neville came to sit with them, their dates in tow. Harry pulled something from his robes.

"Here you go. It's the best I could get at such short notice." Harry passed the small flask to Seamus who sniffed it and passed it back revealing three more of his own and motioning for Ron and Neville to take one each.

"What are you doing Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Oh lighten up. We're leaving the far bowl of punch nice and clean so if your not looking on getting inebriated, then that's the bowl for you." Seamus answered smoothly.

"I didn't say that. Its just that when everyone turns up drunk, who's going to stand up and take the blame? I doubt either of you would and then everyone will be punished." Hermione tutted.

"You know Herm, I think you could do with a swig. It'll make you enjoy the party more and I promise that if anyone gets caught, they won't be punished. Everyone knows what to do. Act too drunk to understand the teachers and convince them to let you rest, in the morning, say you can't remember a thing." Seamus grinned.

"Besides, we've never been caught before." Harry grinned.

"Why Harry Potter, I do believe you have become a bad boy in your old age!" Hermione laughed. _Why not? _She reasoned looking at the flask her hand on her stomach. _There was nothing to worry about and one little sip couldn't hurt._ _Not if she was going to get rid of it anyway_. Hermione grabbed the flask and poured a generous amount into her glass. She knocked it back in one gulp and smiled. For one night at least, she would like to forget about her troubles.

"Well point me to the right punch fellas cuz I'm gonna enjoy tonight." She beamed.

The boys looked at each other and shrugged walking over to their assigned bowls.

**An – oh Hermione what are you going to do???**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N -** **I've been tryng to update for aaaages but my computer totally went caplooie! then it went crash and then it went poof! i had to get my savings sorted and buy a new one! i feel so happy now i have access again!**

**here we go...**

Severus stood by the door and sighed. There were no more students left to arrive which meant that he would have to go inside and watch Hermione dancing with her new boyfriend. The thought of the woman he loved cuddled up with that bastard sickened him.

He walked into the hall and looked around. Not many couples were dancing and it was already halfway into the evening. His eyes scanned for her and eventually found her sitting at a table with Sirius. She was whispering something in his ear.

"I want to dance." Hermione whispered.

Sirius smiled. "And why are we whispering?"

She giggled. "Because, silly, the boys ask the girls to dance not the other way around."

Sirius stood offering his hand. "Miss Granger, would you like to dance?"

She took his offer and nodded falling into his grip. They walked over to the dance floor where many other couples were gathering and began to dance to the slow song that was playing. When it ended and a faster tune blasted out, Sirius went to walk back.

"No, no, no Sirius. I love this song." Hermione begged wrapping her arms around him.

She began to circle him and writhe up against his leg. Some of the other girls were acting the same but they were not under the influence of extensive mounts of punch. She held her hands above her head and twirled with Sirius's hands about her waist. She put her hands around his neck and pulled him closer while gyrating her hips along with his.

Snape watched from across the room fuming. How dare he take advantage of her like this. His eyes steaming with jealousy, he headed towards them.

Hermione smiled at Sirius as she rubbed her leg against his and raised it to wrap around him.

Severus reached out and grabbed hold of Black while Hermione carried on dancing by herself, oblivious to the argument going on around her.

"What are you doing Snape?" He asked confused.

"I am stopping this sex show, that's what I'm…" He looked over at Hermione, a glazed look in her eyes. "Is she drunk?" Relief washed over him as she hadn't done those things of her own accord.

"Of course not. Where would she get… oh no." Sirius realised.

"What?" Severus was worried.

"She's been drinking the punch like she's on a hike in the dessert. It must be in the punch." Sirius took Hermione's arm. "I'll take her back to her rooms."

"No, I'll do it." Severus took her from him. Sirius looked confused. "She'll have to go to madam Pomfrey in case she's sick."

"Oh. Ok I'll try and band together any more of them and find out who their supplier is."

On the way to the infirmary, Hermione looked up at him teary eyed. She was obviously beginning to re-acquire her bearings in the cool night air.

"It wont be hurt… will it?" She asked.

He looked down at her angrily and sighed. He couldn't shout at her now. She had learned her lesson.

"No. You'll both be fine." He looked away as her face filled with relief. "Does this mean you've made up your mind whether to carry on with your silly choice or not?"

"It wasn't my choice and don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'd just like to _have_ the choice that's all. It's been a surprise and I'm still getting used to the thought." She looked away as he snorted. "Look, Severus." She snarled pulling herself from his grasp. "I have no idea how I got into this condition after drinking all of my tea. I gulped it down out of fear. I had no memory at the time and you know it. Why else would I have come to you? Why else would I have reacted in the way that I did? You know I couldn't have faked those tears…" Her eyes welled and she sobbed. "…these tears."

Severus went quiet for a minute and realised that Hermione was telling the truth..

"Oh Merlin." He gasped as realisation overtook him.

"What?"

"You had tea." She looked confused as they entered the infirmary. Poppy came over to them straight away.

"What's happened?" She looked at Hermione's teary face.

"Madam Pomfrey, when you gave Hermione and I our potions in the tea, is there any way they could have gotten them mixed up?"

She looked at him. "Well a slight chance I suppose, because there was a transfiguration accident as I prepared them but you would have known the taste of your own potion Severus. If you'd have gotten the wrong one, you would have informed me at once."

He shook his head. "Not if I threw my tea out of the window, thinking you were trying to give me potions in it."

"Out of the window?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"And onto the flower bed." Hermione realised. "Since I have no idea what either is supposed to taste like, I just drank it down."

"Oh dear." Poppy sat on the bed.

"I think I'm going to be…" Hermione threw up all over the floor and Severus asked Madam Pomfrey to run and get some soberup tonic. He quickly conjured a bowl for Hermione and knelt down beside her and held her hair back. She shrugged him of and finished heaving. "You know, you still needed proof before you believed me Severus." She pulled her hair out of the way and looked up at him teary eyed. Snape sighed and looked away.

"I know, but I was wrong. I had no idea what to think. From your dates with Sirius to the baby, I just dont know what to think anymore."

"Ugh. I just want you to leave me alone. My love for you has ruined my life and I just wish I could stop this ache I have for you. I wish you would just leave my life. Now that you know that none of this is my fault, I hope you live in the misery _I_ have since it happened."

"You don't think I've been living in misery? You don't think that my heart has been breaking. Its been tearing me apart thinking of you with Black and not me. I sit in my rooms and remember the times we had together and I _know_ that I am the one responsible. I _know_ that its all been because of me and I _know_ that I have ruined your life." He sat back next to her and handed her a handkerchief from the inside pocket of his robes. "Hermione, I only questioned you because I was so mad with guilt that I needed some release and I knew deep down that you would never lie to me. That you wouldn't even _want_ my child let alone orchestrate events so that you would carry it." Tears shined in his eyes as he realised that the woman he loved was carrying his child. What the hell had happened to him? He used to be made of tougher stuff than this.

"Well I am and I've decided to keep it. I could never kill my child no matter how much I wanted my education. I'm sure I'll work something out." She wiped her face and stood.

Madam Pomfrey had heard the whole thing but pretended that she was oblivious to it all and bustled back in taking charge over Hermione and scolding her for drinking in her condition while Severus snuck out leaving them alone. Hermione drank the potion, removed her dress and lay down for the night.

A/N - ive just realised how soppy sev seems in this fic. wow he's so out of character at times. i'll just put it down to the war being over and having the love of a good woman i suppose! hope you liked it.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N – Sorry bout the short chapter, just wanted to get this bit out of the way!!

The next morning, a rather sheepish looking Ron and Harry followed by Seamus, Neville and Sirius came to visit her.

"Hey guys." She smiled. They all sighed, thankful that she was talking to them. "Look, I don't blame any of you for what happened. I was the one who accepted the drink and you did nothing wrong. Now if you don't mind Seamus, Neville, I'd like a word with these three before madam Pomfrey comes back." They nodded and scampered in relief before she finished her sentence shouting get well messages from the doorway.

"What's wrong Mione?" Ron asked as they sat on her bed.

"Well first of all, I did something very stupid last night and I'm not proud of myself." She looked at her hands.

"Hey, everyone gets drunk. It's fine. We've all done it." Sirius smiled.

Hermione took a deep breath.

"Not while your five weeks pregnant you haven't." She said, barely a whisper.

"What?" They asked in unison with faces frilled with shock.

"You heard. I'm having a baby and I endangered its life last night and I feel awful." She looked down.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?" Ron shouted as she began to cry.

"Ron, calm down." Sirius scolded him while Harry took Hermione's hand and stroked it, soothing the distressed woman. "Well is it ok?" He asked smiling down at her.

Hermione nodded stroking her stomach.

"WHAT? Your just gonna be all smiles?" Ron exploded.

"We said, calm down." Sirius growled while standing aside from the group.

"I won't bloody calm down Sirius. Who's the father Hermione? I think we have the right to know." Ron fumed.

"Ron, we have no right to know and as her friends, we should be happy for her and give her our support when she needs it." Harry glared at the red haired boy.

"It's ok Harry." Hermione patted his arm. "He has every right to ask. The truth is that I have been seeing someone. We only did it once and there was a mix up with the contraceptive potion. I ended up pregnant and I'm keeping it." She didn't want to tell them that her baby was conceived from rape because sooner or later the father would have to come out and they would put two and two together and kill Severus. _They'd probably guess when her pale skinned child with raven hair and a preference for black, billowing robes ended up in Slytherin anyway_. She mused to herself.

"Does he know about the baby? Is he going to marry you?" Ron asked.

"Contrary to what you believe Ronald, a woman doesn't have to be married to raise a child." Hermione smiled.

"In the Wizarding world they do. You'll be shunned and become an outcast Mione." He looked sorry. "That's why I'm so upset. I care about you. You're like a sister to me and I can't stand the thought of anyone hating you because of this. I'm happy for you, I really am, but you don't know what this society will treat you like." He cleared his throat and looked at her. "Does this mean that he doesn't want to marry you?"

"Well we never talked about it. We split up just before I found out that I was pregnant. He knows about the baby but we haven't had time to talk about it." She pulled the blankets up around herself. "We'll be fine. It'll have three brilliant uncles and a mother who loves it very much and that's all we'll need." The boys sat either side of her. "Anyway, you should know by now that I don't care what people think and I'll raise he or she to think the same."

"Hermione, I think that you're making a mistake. What about your education? What about university?" Ron reasoned.

"Well I thought that I could still continue with it. I'll have a word with the headmaster and work something out and there are lots of mothers who still learn." She looked out of the window and sighed. "I know its not the most ideal situation and I dread to think of what my father will say but there's no way I am killing this baby for my own selfish reasons."

"Well I suppose I am looking forward to being the best uncle in the world." Ron grinned.

"Hey!" Harry gave him a shove. "I'm the famous Harry Potter. It's going to like me better." He joked back.

Sirius smiled and gave Hermione a hug. She looked at the people surrounding her and realised that she had the best friends anyone could ask for. The next day, she told Ginny and was surprised to find the girl ecstatic, suggesting that she and Harry could baby-sit together.


	12. Chapter 12

A/n – see! Here's an extra long chapter to make up for the last one being so short!!

Three months later, the school was nearing the end of the term and the students were eagerly awaiting the Easter holidays and more time away from school.

Severus Snape hadn't seen Hermione properly since the night of the Yule ball and he had spent every minute since then thinking of her. She had been keeping her head down in his classes and handed all of her work in through Ron or Harry much to his disappointment.

He was sitting at his desk marking some third year essays on the properties of shrinking potion when there was a loud tapping on his window. He opened it to find Fawksholding a small parchment. The magnificent phoenix entered swooping around the classroom eventually finding a suitable place to stop on the back of Snape's chair. He took the parchment and stroked the bird fondly before it took off out of the window.

"Hmmm. Must not want a reply." He thought aloud.

Severus opened his letter to find a summons to the headmaster's office at once. Once the letter had neatly disposed of itself into ashes, as did all letters he received from Dumbledore, he started on his way to the old man's office. After he arrived he looked around to make sure that no-one could hear him and whispered.

"Marshmallows."

At once, the staircase began to transcend leading him to the headmaster's door. He knocked and heard a voice from inside beckoning him in. As he entered, he saw the back of a familiar looking frizzy haired head and winced. He was sure he was in trouble now. She must have told the headmaster what had happened and he was now about to be fired and sent to Azkaban.

"Ahh Severus my boy. Come, take a seat. We have something to discuss with you."

_Not exactly, "Your fired" but it must be coming soon._ He thought as he took a seat on the third side of the table they were at.

Hermione was practically glowing and she looked like she had been sleeping better. Unlike him.

"What is it that you have to discuss with me Albus?" He asked carefully as she had not looked up yet.

"Well its more Miss Granger here than me but as you know, Hermione is with child. Madam Pomfrey informed you I believe?" He began to pour some tea for himself.

"Yes that is correct." Severus swallowed waiting for the dismissal.

"Well she has informed us of her wish to keep her baby and we have respected her decision. In turn, I have agreed that she can stay here at the school until her education is complete and if she's still here by July, we will find someone to look after her child when it is born and she attends her extra classes. Madam Pomfrey has already practically begged for the responsibility."

At this Hermione smiled and he continued.

"Well as she is just finishing her last year and hopes to continue her studies in the field of advanced potions, I thought that she could stay here and if her marks meet your approval, she could become your potions apprentice taking the proper examinations and getting all of the relevant qualifications in a fraction of the time. As she has a remarkable ability for learning, she could then go on to get a job and support her new family." He offered around the cups of tea accordingly.

"And what does Miss Granger think of all this?" Severus asked politely.

"I think that it would benefit me and my unborn child greatly and seen as though the father will be unable to support us without ruining his own education, well I think that it's appropriate for my situation. If you don't think I'm good enough, I understand. It was only a thought." She looked down again.

"So the father is a student here?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Now, now Severus. No need to be nosy. Miss Granger has chosen to keep the identity of him to herself as she has every right to. If it were your child, you wouldn't want everyone butting their noses in now would you?" The headmaster's eyes twinkled unnervingly.

"No. No I wouldn't." Snape said as he questioned the headmaster's knowledge in all of this. After all, the man eerily knew everything that went on in the school. So much so that Severus sometimes got changed in the bathroom, just to make sure.

"Well that's sorted then. We'll get you through your examinations and then Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey and I will help you with the rest." He beamed at Hermione. "And I do hope you will consider Albus as a name dear. You just don't seem to hear about many young Albus's these days." The headmaster finished his tea and ushered them out of his room.

Hermione and Severus exited the room in silence and as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hermione turned around to face Severus. He noticed her robes were slightly tighter around her waist and could just about make out a small bump. Hermione interrupted his trance.

"If you don't want to teach me, it's ok. Just say so and I'll pretend I've changed my mind. I wasn't even going to go to any higher education. I was planning on getting a job as soon as possible to help support us and Harry and Ron said they'd help all they can so you know… don't feel like you have to do anything out of obligation." She rambled.

"Hermione, I would never do anything out of obligation, you should know me by now. I'm doing this because you deserve an education. You one of the brightest minds I know and I cant let it go to waste when minds such as Ronald Weasley's are going into protecting us all from evil. I need to do something to make the world right again if he becomes an Auror." He was barely able to stop a small smile from appearing on his lips but manages to turn it into a small smirk.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Well ok then. I'd better get back. They'll want to know how it went." She turned to leave and Snape grabbed her arm.

"Hermione wait. Can we talk about things please?" He looked at her with a softness in his eyes that he reserved only for her.

"Not now. The others are waiting for me."

"Well how about the weekend then? We could have dinner together in my rooms." He suggested.

"I can't. I'm meeting my parents in Hogsmeade. I have yet to tell them of my condition but at least they'll be happy to hear that my education won't falter to it." She looked worried for a second and continued. "But perhaps we can meet up afterwards. In Hogsmeade. We can go for a quiet drink." She saw his worried look so she added. "Of which, mine will not be alcoholic. I haven't touched the stuff since Christmas."

"I was more worried at what your parents will say. I know you made a mistake at Christmas but you were confused. We've all been confused and done something stupid." He said knowingly. "Are you going to tell them who the father is?" He asked.

"I think I'll tell them that we're going to talk about things before deciding on what to tell people and hopefully they'll understand."

"Ok then. Saturday, in The Three Broomsticks. I'll be there all afternoon."

"Ok. That's where I'm meeting my parents so do try and ignore them." He nodded, glad that she had agreed to talk and she walked back towards the Gryffindor common rooms.

Hermione made her way back to her friends and told them about everything that had gone on.

"Who knew the greasy git had a sympathetic side?" Ron sneered when she told them about what Snape had offered to do for her.

"Ron. You're not being fair. Just because he's a strict teacher doesn't mean he's a nasty person." Hermione defended the man she loved and father of her child.

"Yeah but you have to wonder why he has no-one. I mean, do you think he has any friends that aren't locked up in Azkaban for helping Voldemort?" He laughed.

"You know Ron, you can be a real mean bastard sometimes." Hermione stormed out and went back to her own rooms.

The boys looked at each other in shock. "Must be hormones." Harry shrugged.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione lay on her bed and put a hand on her stomach closing her eyes. She wondered what her baby would look like. She thought of the joy her child would bring her and how she would look after it. She pictured a small cottage in the woods somewhere where she would raise her child. She imagined playing in the sun and watching as her son or daughter took their first steps. Then a strange image came into her head. She imagined someone's arms grabbing her and pulling her to face him, only to kiss her on the forehead and laugh with her. He then twirled her around and she was smiling. He picked the child up and they embraced. It was Severus. They were a family.

Hermione sat up on the bed and realised that she couldn't raise their baby without him. She knew he loved her and she knew that he would tell her so tomorrow at The Three Broomsticks. She went to have a bath and relax before sleeping, knowing that she wouldn't have time tomorrow before going to meet her parents. Trying not to think about them, Hermione pictured the little cottage once again and smiled at what she saw.

Severus was asleep at his desk. He had been for some time. He stirred as the owl pecked at the window and eventually got up to let it in. The message was dropped at his desk and the owl left without so much as a pause.

Severus looked down and grimaced as he recognised the Malfoy seal and tore open the letter.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Hermione walked down the path on her way into Hogsmeade and hoped that her robes were loose enough to hide her growing stomach. She had been having trouble getting into her muggle attire for a while now. Even the loop she had fixed around the button hole on her jeans was too small so she had opted for robes until she could buy some bigger garments. Approaching The Three Broomsticks, she took a deep breath and entered. Her parents stood immediately and hugged her. Carefull not to let them touch her stomach, she looked around for Severus but he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps, she thought, he was hiding from her parents. Or her. Mr. And Mrs. Granger had already ordered drinks and were happily drinking butterbeer. They were now used to travelling into the magical world to visit their daughter. Since the death of Voldemort, the rules had loosened up on muggles. Hermione selected the safer beverage of orange juice and sat down opposite them. She was taking no chances after The Yule ball.

"Oh Hermione, how we missed you this Christmas." Her mother chimed as soon as she had taken her seat. "Its wonderful to see you my darling." Her mother reached over and hugged her again over the table.

"Mom, dad, I have something to tell you." Her parents looked at her lovingly and Hermione thought that perhaps everything would be alright. She took a sip of her orange juice. "I have decided to abstain from the whole university experience and attend an apprenticeship instead." She looked at their confused faces and smiled.

"An apprenticeship?" Her father asked.

"Don't worry. I'll still get a degree. It's just that I want to become a mistress in potions and the best way to achieve this is to have an existing Potions Master or Mistress give you an apprenticeship. The thing is, you don't get many who are willing to give up their time to teach someone their knowledge." Her parents looked bewildered. "Its good news really. I found a Master who is more than willing to teach me. He says I have more potential than he thought possible in someone so young. It's even going to cost less. I'll still be at Hogwarts and you…"

"Hogwarts?" Her mother cut in.

"Well yes. That's where the Potions Master teaches. He outlined the course for me and it takes less than half the time it would if I went to uni." She tried to look excited rather than nervous.

"Well this is wonderful news darling." Her father beamed.

"Yes." Her mother agreed. "We're so proud of you." She raised her glass. "To our Hermione. The future Potions Mistress."

"No. Wait. We need something stronger to really toast it." Mr. Granger stood and walked around the table to the bar. Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Wait dad. I have some more news for you and I can't drink alcohol at the moment anyway." She was welling up already.

"What is it honey and why ever can't you dr…" Her mother's eyes dropped to the swollen stomach that hid underneath the table. "Oh Hermione." She too, was now welling up. Her father, clueless to the exchange sat back at the table.

"What on earth is going on?" He was worried.

"Well… dad… I'm pregnant."

"WHAT?" The normally very calm man shouted. "Who's the father? Harry Potter? Or is it that Weasley boy? Tell me Hermione."

Hermione had never seen her father this mad before. She had seen him relatively close when she dropped Mrs. Bristow's false teeth in the fish tank when she was six but this was worse.

"None of them. It's someone else. Someone you don't know." She whispered as tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Well tell me who. I demand to know the name of the man I am to call son. When's the wedding?" He raged.

"Look, dad. I haven't really had a chance to talk to him about it yet. I've been arranging my apprenticeship and organising care for when the baby comes. We had an argument and have only recently made up. I promise I'll tell you more when we've spoken. When the arrangements are made about what I'm going to do, you'll be the first to know." Hermione held her breath and waited for a reply. Her father slammed his fist on the table.

"How could you do this to us? You aren't even going to marry him and I'm supposed to wait until you have made up your mind?" He stood up shaking his head and walked out of the pub.

"Oh mom. Please talk to him. Please make him see sense. He can't expect me to get married at this age. In the Wizarding community. Once you marry someone, you have to spend your life with them. There's no such thing as a divorce. You're spiritually bound to them forever." Hermione looked over at her mother who gave her a disappointed look.

"You don't know if you want to marry him but you're more than willing to have his child and at your age, you should have heard of a condom." Her mother stood up and put on her coat. "I'll talk to him Hermione but you need to be ready to tell us something soon. He won't rest until he knows you're going to be able to give this child a good home and a life it doesn't have to be ashamed of."

Hermione sat at the table and finished off her juice. She hadn't known what to say. There was more to this than they understood. She looked around one last time for Severus and sighed. It was well past three and he had promised to be there all afternoon.

Where was he?

Snape sat in Lucius Malfoy's living room and waited. He had meant to meet Hermione but this couldn't wait. What did he want?

"Severus. Hello."

"Lucius." Snape nodded.

"I suppose you're wondering what I want from you since I found out your true alliances in all of this?" He sneered.

"Well it would help." Severus stared into the cold grey eyes before him and tried to figure out what they wanted.

"I just wanted to know how Hermione's doing. After all, she probably can't get over what you did to her and I'm wondering if she's free yet? You know, Draco has had his eye on her for quite some time now. I'll bet she's simply gagging for it." Lucius laughed and Severus drew his wand.

"You will stay away from Hermione and instruct your son to do the same. I'll not tell you again and don't expect me to come here again for your sick games and foolish baiting." Severus went to leave.

"You think that's why I called you here? That was just a little bit of fun before we got down to the real topic."

Severus turned around "Which is?"

"Your child of course."

A/n – Dun dun duuuuuuun!!! Review and I may let you have the next chapter soon, after all, I have finished this story, I'm just sooo evil!!


	14. Chapter 14

A/n – please don't hate me... its my muse's fault... yes she did this to my story!!

Hermione stood up and turned to leave The Three Broomsticks when a firm hand met her shoulder and pushed her back into the chair. Turning to look, she was alarmed to find Draco sitting down next to her.

"Don't try anything Granger. There are people waiting for me outside under strict orders to hex you to oblivion if you leave before me so shut up and relax." No-one had noticed the exchange so she thought it best to comply.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She glared at him trying not to show her fear.

"I just wanted a chat. Professor Snape should be here but he was otherwise detained so I thought I'd come and keep you company." He smiled.

"Well I don't think that we have anything to talk about. Do you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do. I think that you and I need to have a long chat." Draco turned his chair so that he was facing her properly. "So when are you thinking of letting everyone know that your pregnant?" He patted her stomach and she flinched. "Do you think that anyone will believe that it's professor Snape's child? Do you think that your little friends will stick by you when they find out that you've been banging their near arch nemesis? He's twice your age and when the ministry find out, they'll have him fired and discredited. He'll loose all of his Potions Master titles and go back to being a plain old wizard who can't get a job. My father will see to that." He laughed.

"Why does this even concern you Draco? It has nothing to do with you. There's no law against us being together so the ministry will have no business discrediting anyone." Hermione wanted to leave but she could see he was getting agitated.

"There will be laws against it when the new "Protection Of Influence" law gets passed later on today. Any student and teacher relationships will be classed as unlawful influence on the teachers side and they will be punished accordingly."

"But he didn't influence me and I'll tell them that."

"And they'll use a pensive to see the first and only time that you had sex with him. If it was nice and consensual…" He smiled at her.

"You bastard." Hermione went to draw her wand but Malfoy got there first.

"I wouldn't try that again Granger. Duelling can be extremely dangerous if you are with child."

"So what do you want from me?"

"I want you to marry me."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"Because, my grandfather is withholding my inheritance just like he did with my father. He says that I have to be married and have a child before I get it. I never intend to marry and there's no way I want a little brat running around my feet when I have plans in this world.. If you marry me, when the child comes, I get my money and you can do whatever you want."

"But Wizarding marriages last forever. They are soul binding." Hermione argued.

"Oh you silly girl. They're only soul binding if the couple are in love. If the souls want to bind. When we get married, we'll still loathe each other. We can get the marriage severed whenever we wish. Just don't go falling in love with me." Hermione snorted.

"Fat chance." She thought about things. "So after I've married you, _if_ I married you, what would happen to Severus and I?"

"Well, he'd be seen as a saint for taking in the poor Malfoy cast off and there would be no implications that you were with him while you were a student so you can do whatever you want."

"And that's everything?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Think about it. Discuss it with Snape and then get back to me." Draco stood and left the pub. Hermione sat wishing there was another choice, but there wasn't. This was Malfoy blackmail. No way out. She would have to marry Draco. She would be Mrs. Hermione Malfoy. Ugh.

That night, Hermione waited in the dungeons for Severus to return. When he finally did, he was utterly inebriated. He ignored her completely and proceeded to his quarters without even a backwards glance.

"Severus." She called out to him in the dark.

He turned around and squinted. "Hermione issssat yiu?" He slurred.

Hermione walked over to him and pulled him through the door into his rooms. Snape collapsed onto the chair and attempted to pour himself another drink spilling half of the bottle on the floor.

"I think you've had enough. Don't you?" She pulled the bottle from his grasp and watched as he began to sob quietly into his hands. "What's wrong?" She asked sitting next to him.

"I've ruined your life. My love is like a curse on you. It has been on anyone I've ever loved. They've all suffered for enduring my affections." He choked back another round and stared up at her. The light catching the curve of her stomach as she had removed her outer robes and was now sitting in a muggle maternity dress given to her by madam Pomfrey. "You're going to have to marry him and it's all my fault. Our child will be known as a Malfoy." He looked away awaiting her barrage of questions that were bound to follow.

"I know. I got propositioned by my fiancé today. It looks like the father-in-law-to-be, got to you. I've thought about it and we have no choice really do we?"

"Yes. Yes we do. We could refuse and then I'd go to prison. I don't care, I've been there before and it's what I deserve. You could raise the baby with Potter and Weasley. I'm sure they've already offered. Anything to save you from the Malfoy clutches."

"No Severus. I love you far too much to allow that to happen." She curled into his arm, wrapping it around her. "We'll be ok now, don't you see? My parents will be pleased to see me married and there'll be no scandal about an unwed witch having a child with her teacher." She tilted her head to look up at him and smiled. "I'm going to have to tell Harry and Ron some warped version of the blackmail because I don't think they'd believe that I was in love with Malfoy. Then again, I don't think they'll believe I'm in love with you when I tell them." She felt his body jerk as he chuckled lightly. She snuggled up to him and he relaxed placing an arm around her attentively. In minutes, they were both fast asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Severus had woken with one hell of a headache but something made the throbbing in his brain irrelevant. There she was and had been all night, lying beside him. She was curled up, sleeping softly. He had reluctantly got up and had a shower. When he returned, she was gone but on the pillow there lay a note speaking of her love and return after dinner.

The next day, Hermione met Ron, Remus, Sirius and Harry in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom just before dinner and sat them all down.

"I have something to tell you all and I hope you'll all listen to me and try to understand what I'm about to do." They nodded worriedly. "I have made an agreement with Draco Malfoy that in a week's time, I'm going to marry him."

"WHAT???" All four of them shouted at once.

"Wait until you've heard it all. I only agreed because they have something on me. The Malfoy's have threatened to expose my condition and the father too. It would mean no education for either of us as Wizarding Law states that we must cease education and get married. I have agreed to marry Draco so that society will think that everything's above board and that the baby was conceived in wedlock, thus allowing us to complete our education in peace. Draco need's a marriage and a child to receive his inheritance after which, we will part ways, both better off."

"But it won't go that way will it? We all know Draco and I think he's up to something." Ron pleaded. "I'll marry you Mione, if it means you won't be with that ferret."

"Thanks Ron, but we'd need a licence and that would take months in which time I could already have given birth. Draco's dad has connections. He could obtain one tomorrow if it benefited him." They looked at her, each trying to think of another plan and failing.

"It's ok guys. I'll be fine. I think Draco just saw an opportunity which would help him get to his money and took it. He doesn't want children of his own so I was just a scapegoat."

"How did Draco find out about your pregnancy anyway?" Sirius asked confused.

"I know." Ron spat, seething. "Who was the only untrustworthy person that knew about your condition?"

"Snape." Harry stood up shaking his head. "How could he?"

"NO!" Hermione jumped up glaring at her friends. "He couldn't have because… they're blackmailing him. He's the only one who knew about Draco's inheritance and the conditions behind it. He knows that I'm pregnant and he knows who the father is. They said they'd tell the Wizarding world about all of the things he did as a Deatheater and get him fired from the school if he tells anyone that the baby isn't Draco's. Think of all the owls Dumbledore would receive if the daily prophet printed the details."

"Hang on, why does Snape know who the father is and we don't?"

"Because I ranted about him when I was drunk at Christmas. On the way up I kept crying for him not to tell the father and he promised me the next morning that he wouldn't tell anyone. He's a good man to go through all of this for me. You should really should lay off him boys."

"Wow, who knew that the greasy git had a heart?" Ron was amazed.

"RON, don't call him that." Hermione scolded.

"We still don't know how the Malfoys knew about the baby."

"Well I wouldn't put it past him to have gone snooping through Madam Pomfrey's records or something like that."

"Well I'll just have to do a bit of my own snooping then won't I?" Hermione smiled.

Everyone got up and hugged Hermione before going down to dinner and giving Draco dirty looks all afternoon.

The morning had gone very slowly and Hermione was all that Snape could think about. She unknowingly played with his thoughts and emotions. At dinner, there she was looking radiant as ever and for some reason, the others around her seemed to be constantly glaring at the Slytherin table, more so than usual.

Draco stood up and approached them. He knelt down in front of Hermione and produced a ring.

"Hermione, I want to make our secret relationship public by showing everyone how much I care for you. Will you marry me?" He smiled what looked to anyone else like a genuinely loved up smile gushing with romance.

Hermione tried to look as happy and surprised as she could. The tears were real though. She put out her hand and accepted the ugly green and silver band. It held the Malfoy crest and weighed down her hand.

"Oh of course I'll marry you, Draco my love." She exclaimed eventually.

Everyone in the hall stared at them in shock. A few of the first and second years began to applaud and croon over the dramatic gesture and soon everyone that had chosen to stay at Hogwarts during the Easter holidays was joining in.

Everyone except Severus that was. He felt as though his heart had been ripped out and flung across the room. Someone else was clearly feeling the same, as Pansy Parkinson began to wail and left the hall.

Draco laughed and grabbed Hermione pulling her into his arms whispering something into her ear. She nodded and he pulled away slightly and kissed her. Hermione felt his tongue enter her mouth and she did all that she could not to gag. When he pulled away and smirked at her, she looked over at the head table only to find Severus gone. A familiar sweep of black robes leaving the hall told her that he had seen everything. He had politely excused himself, not wishing to see anymore. When he reached the dungeons, he opened a bottle of fire whisky and poured himself a glass. He was about to knock it back in one when there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" He snapped.

"It's Albus my dear boy. I could only get away for a minute so I think you should open the door." He waited while Severus cursed and came to the door.

"What do you want Albus?" Snape glared at the old wizard as he entered and sat on his favourite chair.

"I'm not stupid Severus, I saw your reaction today. I had my suspicions but now I am certain." He sighed.

"Certain of what?" Snape narrowed his eyes.

"That you are in love with Miss Granger and that is your child she is carrying."

"Once more, Albus the great detective strikes again. What is it that you want exactly?" He rubbed his eyes.

"An explanation as to why she is in there accepting a proposal made by the very person that stands for everything she hates."

"It is just more convenient. Draco needs a wife and child. We cannot marry anyway."

"Ahh yes this new law. Influential protection. I wondered why Malfoy had pushed it so, I gather he is blackmailing you then?"

Severus sat down and dropped his head into his hands. "I thought I could handle it. I thought that I could watch her marry him and be ok with it."

"But?"

"But I can't. It's breaking my heart to see her baring the Malfoy crest when she should be a Snape by now. I love her with all of my heart and would go to jail for her if it meant that she wouldn't have to marry into that sycophant family. Albus, I have ruined her life." He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Albus reaching into his pocket.

"Lemon drop?"

Severus smiled and for them first time in his life, took one.

A/n – poor Severus, I'll comfort you!! leaves computer and runs from the room at full speed


	16. Chapter 16

A/n – Thanks for the reviews people, keep them up!!!!

Hermione made her way down to the Dungeons after dinner, having finally managed to get away from the hoards of congratulatory hugs. She didn't like people too close to her stomach these days just in case they found her to be a little too rounded.

She knocked on the door and waited. Soon, someone answered it. It was the headmaster.

"Oh, erm, Headmaster, I was just coming to… to…"

He interrupted her babbling. "It is alright Miss Granger. My existing suspicions have just been confirmed by Severus. Come in, come in and I think you had better remove _that_ before he sees it don't you?" He motioned to her left hand.

"Oh, yes." She quickly removed it and thrust it into her robes.

Severus sat on the settee looking worse than she had seen him in a long time. His eyes were red and his face was pale. Hermione walked over to him and hugged him. He seemed to come out of the trance he was in and hugged her back. They sat like that for a minute until the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them. They turned to see Albus smiling down at them.

"I think I left it too long before returning. I had better go. Minerva will no doubt be fretting over my absence." He chuckled and left them alone.

"Severus."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Hermione."

"I'm so sorry that you had to see that. He whispered to me that we should make it more believable so I agreed." She rambled.

"It's ok Hermione." He paused and grabbed her hand. Stroking the inside of her wrist, he continued. "I've been thinking and I believe it to be in both of our best interests if we don't see each other for a while after you get married. Our feelings might show and you know how jealous I get. I doubt I'll be able to hold in punching him in the face if he kisses you like that in front of me again."

"I don't understand. I can sneak down here and see you surely?"

"Hermione, I will have to see you in public with him until the end of the school year when you leave to live at Malfoy Manor. I don't think I will be able to stand it. I can't see you in private knowing that you are just going to go back to be with him. It will kill me."

"But you know nothing will happen it's just going to be a show."

"Yes but that show you put on earlier made me want to torture Malfoy slowly. I don't think I shall be able to control those urges Hermione." He smiled sadly.

"Then I suppose that this is the last time I will see you then?" She sniffed as her eyes began to water.

"No. I shall find a way to see you before the wedding. I promise."

Severus put his arm around Hermione and she snuggled into his embrace on the rather comfy sofa. After a while Hermione stood up and left silently. Neither of them wanting to say goodbye.

The next day, Hermione owled her parents with the news of her upcoming nuptials. She hoped that this would make them happy and that they would arrive in time for their coveted wedding.

The next few days were full of wedding preparations and dress fittings. Hermione had managed to convince Draco to let her pick her own dress. Her bump wasn't that big and she had managed to find the perfect dress that made her look almost normal. It was a corset with cream lace surrounding it and a full flowing silk skirt attached. She had decided to wear her hair up and had chosen lilies to decorate it with. The night before the wedding, Hermione lay in her chambers wondering how her life had become so awful. There was a knock on her door and assuming it was Ginny who had promised to come by with her lillys, she shouted "Its open."

In walked Lucius Malfoy with a smug grin plastered across his face and a bouquet of lilies in his hands. Hermione shot up and grabbed her dressing gown to cover herself, she had been informed that the Malfoys were staying here in the castle as the ceremony was to be held on the grounds. She was wearing her maternity pyjamas which consisted of ¾ length cotton bottoms and a vest top which seemed to accentuate all of her growing bumps. He stared at her now ample bosom and laughed.

"Oh Hermione, do you expect that you will be married to my son and be able to hide from me forever?"

"It won't be forever, just until he gets his inheritance. After that, I'll be gone." She put her dressing gown down and snatched the flowers from him.

"That Weasley wench in the hall had those for you. I told her that we had some pre wedding things to discuss and she left them with me." The moonlight shone in through the window and seemed to accentuate the developing roundness of her stomach. "I didn't realise you were so far along. You're what? Four, Five months?"

Hermione put her hand on her stomach protectively. He didn't know that her child had been conceived on the night of the dark lord's downfall and she wanted to keep it that way. "It's none of your business. Why are you here?" She stood opposite him and waited.

"I came to give you this." He handed her a small box. Inside was a necklace made of gold and silver twisted together. The stone in the middle was Slytherin green and as vulgar as its owner. "It's been in my family for years and you will be expected to wear it tomorrow.

Hermione lifted it and inspected the jewel. "What enchantment is on this? I can almost smell the spells on the stone." She looked up at Lucius.

He smiled. "You are a very clever girl. The spells are those of obedience. They are on every Malfoy woman on her wedding day making her easier to handle. Put it on now so that I can command you not to tamper with it."

"Are you mad? I'll do no such thing." She threw it back into the box and offered it back to him.

"There are many Malfoy traditions of which I have chosen not to uphold. For example, the night of passion in which the father of the groom takes the bride's supposed virginity, or the pre nuptial agreement which disallows the bride to carry on with any employment or education that she might have in mind. Most of all, I am keeping your dear sweet Severus out of jail at the moment so put the necklace on and shut up." He glared at her fiercely and waited. Hermione did as she was told and put on the necklace.

She felt strangely light-headed for a minute and had to sit down. Lucius approached the bed and sneered. "You will not remove this necklace until a Malfoy instructs you too. You will in no way attempt to tamper with it nor will you get anyone else to do so. Is that understood?"

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes and nodded. Minutes later, Lucius had gone and she sat alone hugging her swollen stomach, just wishing Severus was there with her.


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning, Hermione awoke to find Severus standing over her. She sat up and smiled at him.

"I told you I'd come to see you." Snape smiled back and pulled her out of bed and into his embrace. His smile faltered however, when he noticed the glimmering stone that hung around her neck.

"Hermione, where did you get that necklace?" He reached for it and she pulled away.

"It was a gift from Lucius. I have to wear it until the wedding is over." Severus looked confused.

"I don't think you understand, its powers…" He trailed off realising from the look on her face that she did indeed know the powers of the necklace. "Why would you put it on?"

"Because he told me just a few of the many things he could do to me, us if I didn't." She pulled him close once again and Severus enveloped her with his arms.

A few minutes passed and there was a knock on the door. Hermione went to answer it while Severus made them both some tea. Hermione was surprised to find her parents at the door.

"Mom? Dad? You're here?" She smiled as they both reached forward to pull their daughter into a hug.

"We knew you'd come to your senses and marry the father of your child darling." Her mother said proudly.

"Yes and from what we've heard, he's a very wealthy boy. You must remember to introduce us at the end of the ceremony." Her father added. They both stepped into the room and noticed Severus standing in the middle of the room. They all looked expectantly at Hermione.

"Oh… er… mom, dad, this is Hogwarts' Potions Master, Professor Snape. He's a good friend of mine also."

"Friends with your professor?" Her mother looked confused.

"Yes. He is the one who's giving me the apprenticeship when I've finished my schooling."

Hermione smiled while her father walked over to the professor and shook his hand.

"Hermione can I talk to you in the bathroom for a moment please?" Snape motioned towards the room and Hermione smiled uneasily at her parents questioning looks and followed him in there.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you think that you should tell your parents the truth about us? Or at least some of the truth. They're going to be a little upset when they hear from their daughter that her marriage collapsed after less than a year and she's marrying her former… or current as the case may be, Potions Professor."

Hermione was speechless. "Severus Snape, are you proposing to me on the day of my wedding in a bathroom?"

"Of course not my love, I would never do that. I'd do it in a much more romantic way." He smirked at her.

"Well maybe we should tell them something. Just go with what I say and that's the story that we're going to tell everyone." She turned to leave the room when Severus reached out for her arm.

"Why are you always stopping me from leaving by grabbing my arm? You're going to give me a repetitive strain injury." She turned to face him.

"Well as you are about to invent the story upon which the rest of our lives is to be based, I would like just a small amount of insight." He looked at her expectantly.

"Will you stop dropping marriage hints at me. Merlin what has gotten into you? Anyone would think that you were being almost playful."

"Well just make sure that isn't in the story."

"Fine. This is a brief overview of what I've been thinking about saying to Harry and Ron, before I was taken, we had gotten to know each other extremely well and I found myself falling in love with you. When I was taken, you were the one to rescue me from Lucius, he found us and knocked us out and took us to the see Voldemort." He cringed. "That was the night you told me that you loved me and when we were rescued, we slept together. There was a mix up with my contraceptive potion and I became pregnant. We were happy about it until the new law came into action and you know the rest." She looked up at the man she loved.

"Hermione, you don't have to paint me as the most wonderful man in the world." He sat on the edge of the bath.

"But Severus, that's just what you are to me."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hermione honey. Shouldn't you be getting ready for your wedding instead of hiding in a bathroom with your teacher?" She heard her mother shout from the other side of the door.

Hermione opened the door and smiled at her. "He's a lot more than that mom and I think that it's about time you knew just how much."

Severus sat there as she told her mother and father just how much she loved him.

They sat and listened as she explained everything and at the end, her father looked over at Severus and reached out to him. Severus shook hands with the muggle while Hermione and her mother hugged.

"Well I think that explains a lot my darling. I knew you weren't as careless as I thought. And you, Professor Snape must be extremely fond of our daughter to risk going to prison so that she doesn't have to marry someone else. I just hope that you'll make an honest woman of her when this is all over with."

Severus didn't quite understand whet he meant by 'honest woman' but he promised anyway.

Once they had all left, Hermione took on the task of preparing herself for the wedding, both mentally and physically. She had to convince everyone there that she was madly in love with Draco Malfoy. It was going to be hard. A knock on her door bought her out of those thoughts and she answered it while putting the finishing touches to her makeup.

Hermione opened the door to see a young house elf she didn't recognise from the castle standing there.

"Young miss must come down to her wedding now. Master Malfoy's orders." With that he scurried away. He must have belonged to her future family.

The ceremony was a large affair. Extravagant and vulgar. Hermione hated every second of it. The after party wasn't much better. She saw Harry and Ron wave goodbye as they left and the evening continued. She had yet to find Severus, but after nearly half an hour of attempting to look and getting accosted by well wishers with fake smiles, she finally found him sitting at a table with her father. They seemed to be getting along well but that might have had something to do with the half empty bottle of firewhisky sat in front of them.

Her father was laughing at something Severus had said and as she approached them, she heard her father wheeze.

"A cat you say?! She seems to have forgotten to mention that to us in her letters home." And he continued to laugh.

Hermione groaned inwardly and continued forwards when a hand on her arm stopped her. It was her husband.

"Hermione darling come, the minister and his wife want to talk to us." The necklace warmed against her skin and she felt the urge to do whatever Draco wanted.

At the end of the night, Hermione and Draco made their way up to their new rooms in the dungeons. She hadn't seen Severus all evening but she would see him soon. After all, she had potions on Monday. The rooms had been created especially for a newly married couple. With a large double bed and even a small bathroom that Hermione thought that she would be glad of in the next few months of her pregnancy. Her new husband looked over at her and smiled. She could smell the firewhisky on his breath as he leant in to her still smirking. It was an eerie smile that could only cause Hermione to feel wary of what he was thinking.

Finally he spoke.

"Did you know that the wedding is only complete when the marriage is consummated?"

He sneered at the reclining woman before him.

"Of course when my father told me, I was disgusted. I thought why would I ever want to taint myself with a filthy mudblood?"

She seemed slightly relieved but there was still something in his eyes that didn't quite look sane.

"But I suppose I should take a go at you. Seeing as though it's going to help me get my money and all."

"You know Draco, that's quite alright. I don't want you. We could just pretend that we did it." Hermione edged towards the bathroom door and as he went to grab her, she ran inside and warded the door behind her. His movements were slow due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

_Crap crap crap. All he had to do was order her to come out and she would have to. Stupid necklace!_

Hermione was hyperventilating. She had no idea what to do.

There was a bang the next room and the newest Malfoy stood with her back flat against the wall. She held her wand out as the door handle turned, it rattled and Hermione felt the wards go down.

The door burst open and Hermione froze. Standing right in front of her was Narcissa Malfoy.

"W…what are you doing here Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione spotted Draco on the floor behind her. "And what happened to him?"

Narcissa put her own wand away.

"Hermione, we need to have a chat."

A/n – phew! That was a long chapter!! As always, please review. Not much left now anyway!


	18. Chapter 18

A/n - Narcissa to the rescue!!!

Narcissa motioned for Hermione to join her in the bedroom.

She stepped over Draco and sat on the bed.

"How long is he going to be out for?" She poked at her husband with her foot.

"Not much longer so we need to be quick." The edler Malfoy smiled. "Oh and please refrain from kicking my son."

Hermione pulled her leg back and looked at the pristine woman in front of her.

"Well?" She asked as Narcissa stared down at her son.

"I have come here to help you Hermione. I don't know why but I see something of myself in you and I don't think that an intelligent young woman such as you should waste part of her life with the Malfoy family. Whatever they have promised you, being one of us will affect you forever. Don't you see that your plan is flawed? Once Draco gets his money, his wife will be entitled to half of it in a divorce. Lucius and Draco won't have that. I know it. They haven't told me their plans but they will have something else up their sleeves."

"What if I promised not to ask for any of it?" Hermione asked, almost kicking herself for not seeing the obvious flaw in their plan.

"Then Draco would still have to give you some money for the baby. He couldn't get away with just leaving you no matter how much leverage he has within the ministry."

"Well what do you think he will do?" She rubbed her stomach.

"I've told you, I don't know. I do, however, have a way to get you out of all of this."

"How?" Hermione still wasn't sure if she trusted the pale woman in front of her.

Narcissa pulled something from her pocket and handed it to Hermione.

She took it and realised that it was an exact replica of the necklace she wore. The one that Lucius had given her and was using to control her.

"Hermione, I Narcissa Malfoy order you to remove the necklace that binds you." She smiled.

The necklace warmed and Hermione removed it, at once feeling the loss of its pull.

"You, Mrs. Malfoy are bloody brilliant." She put on the replica and felt nothing.

"I was very much like you in my youth my dear, intelligent and always working. Until my father told me I was to marry Lucius. They gave me the necklace but unfortunately I didn't realise its powers until I had put it on. After that, I was made to wear it until Draco was born. When he was, Lucius used my love for my son to keep me in line. I looked for the necklace everywhere but never found it." Hermione handed her the ostentatious jewelry. "Now that I have it, Lucius won't know what hit him."

"What do you plan on doing with it?" Hermione felt uneasy at the thrilled look adorning the elder woman's face.

"I plan on putting it on my husband tonight and ordering him never to take it off until I say so and keep it under a concealment charm. From there, I will get him to cancel that stupid law that keeps you and dear Severus apart." Hermione raised her eyebrows at the term _Dear_ and Narcissa laughed. "My goodness, don't look so feisty. I mean he is a dear friend to me and has been throughout this farce of a marriage. He was the only one who never lied to me about Lucius's whereabouts while he was entertaining other women. He would always come round and we would play chess. He never lied or covered for my husband like his other friends and for that, I respect him."

Draco began to stir.

"In a few weeks or so, I want to you go down to the ministry and file for an annulment. Leave enough time for Draco to become confident that all is going well and for me to get Lucius controlled. Tell them that the marriage wasn't consummated. They will be able to do a spell to confirm it. When they floo Draco, which they will, and he appears within minutes remind him that he is objecting to a muggle born carrying someone else's baby, from annulling the marriage. Tell him that if you so chose, you could tell any one and everyone who would listen about your condition. After the spell they performed, you also have proof that you and he have never slept together and yet you are pregnant." She went to leave but not before levitating her son onto the bed and stripping him with a spell. "You had better do your best to convince him that you have slept together when he wakes up. Lucius has informed him to take whatever means necessary to seal the marriage."

When she had left, Hermione cringed and took all of her clothes off. She climbed into bed with Draco who was beginning to wake.

"What the hell…? Moodblood, why am I naked?" He sat up.

"Well Draco, I would think that it would be the same reason that I am naked." She shuddered as he looked under the covers at her. He looked confused. "Bloody hell, how drunk are you? We consummated our marriage and you passed out on top of me straight afterwards." Hermione slipped from the bed and put on her dressing gown. "I'm going to the bathroom to clean up after you." She moved to enter the bathroom but her husband was too fast.

"I order you to tell me the truth. Why can't I remember fucking you?"

She fake shuddered like she had before when he ordered her to do something and replied. "I believe it to be because you were so drunk, you didn't know what you were doing even when we were doing it."

He eased away from her. "Go and clean up. You are forbidden from mentioning this to anyone. If my father asks, I ordered you to do it and it was good." He reached for his robes and Hermione entered the bathroom. She took a shower and when she returned, Draco was gone. She was exhausted and slipped on her pajamas before climbing into bed.

The next morning Severus awoke with one hell of a headache and in the arms of Hermione's father. Her mother came into the room with a tray of tea and toast. She set it down on the table as Severus jumped up, waking Mr. Granger in the process. Severus pulled two vials from a shrunken satchel in his robes and handed one to him.

"What is it?"

"It's a hangover relief potion. Don't worry, I made it myself." He knocked his own straight back and the other man followed.

"That's marvelous. I feel absolutely fine. Just like I didn't even touch any of that flamey-whisky!" He exclaimed. "And ready for a full breakfast too. What about you Severus? Care to join us?"

"No, thank-you. I have lessons to plan for tomorrow. I shall see you soon. He left their rooms and walked back to his own.

A/n – who'd have known Hermione would find an ally in Narcissa Malfoy of all people?! Crazy!


	19. Chapter 19

A/n - thanks for the reviews... and the threats! they made me carry on... well not the threats, they just scared me:)

Four weeks passed as Hermione played the part of Mrs Malfoy perfectly. She had seen Severus in class and he had acted as though nothing was wrong. Word was officially out as her six month pregnant stomach protruded from her school robes. Many people had guessed at the wedding as the wedding robes did nothing to hide her condition. It wasn't uncommon for a young witch still at school to get married while pregnant. Draco had played the expecting father and been congratulated by every Slytherin male for getting into the Griffindor's pants before they were even engaged.

The school term was over and she was currently living at Malfoy Manor in her own wing, well away from the rest of the family.

Hermione awoke at the feeling of desperately needing to use the bathroom. Once she had finished, she got dressed and left for hogsmeade under the pretence of purchasing things for the baby. She waddled towards the ministry and looked around. She approached the doors and entered.

She walked in, had her wand checked and looked for the correct place to go. The sign on the wall told her that she had to go to the marital law department.

Once she found the place, Hermione stepped into the office where a thin witch, wearing blue robes with a pair of matching glasses on her head, sat behind the desk writing on some parchment. There was a row of owls perched on the window and as she rolled up the parchment she had been writing on, an owl flew to her desk. She tied the letter to the foot of the owl and it flew off.

"Excuse me, I'm looking to annul my marriage. As soon as possible." She added. "Am I in the right place?"

The witch looked her up and down before replying rather curtly. "Yes you are. If you just take a seat, I'll fetch your marriage license and files attached." She opened a drawer of her desk that seemed to open far more than the width of the desk would normally allow. The witch looked up. "Well?"

"Well what?" Hermione replied.

"Name?" The witch was growing impatient.

"Oh, Hermione Gr… Malfoy. Formerly Granger."

The witch nodded and motioned at the seats in front of Hermione who sat down. The witch pulled out a file after a few minutes.

"The marriage was last month, to a Mr. Draco Athelstan Malfoy?"

"Yes that's right." Hermione shifted in her seat.

The woman looked her up and down. "You do know that you can't have consummated the marriage. And if your carrying his baby its going to be nigh on impossible to terminate the wedding?"

"That's perfectly fine madam, I have never in my life had sex with any Malfoy, especially not Draco Athelstan." Hermione smirked at the woman's look of confusion.

"Well let me just take this to head office of marital law. They deal with all annulments. If you would just follow me." The witch left the office and led Hermione down the corridor. She spoke with the witch sitting outside at a desk who nodded. "Wait here. You will be called in, in a moment." She disappeared inside the office, emerging a few minutes later and leaving.

A heavyset woman with broad shoulders came out of the office and beckoned her into the room. Hermione stood and entered. She sat opposite the woman at her desk.

"Now, Mrs. Malfoy, my name is Madam Niggon. Miss Farley tells me that you wish for an annulment from your marriage to Mr. Draco Malfoy. Has the marriage been consummated?" She asked and before Hermione could answer the question a second time, said husband burst into the door.

"Yes it was! Hermione, what do you think you are doing?" He hissed at her.

"No it wasn't consummated. I gather there's a spell you can perform to make sure." She addressed Madam Niggon.

"That's not necessary. We did it!!" Draco screeched. "I was there!"

"Or, did you pass out and then wake up naked in a bed with me telling you that we did it?"

"I… we… its…" He looked at her in confusion and then realised something, his face lighting up. "The necklace! I ordered you to tell me and you had to." He looked smugly at her.

Hermione smirked. "Yes and your father ordered me not to take off this necklace." She pulled the necklace off. "Things change." She dropped it at his feet as she turned to Madam Niggon. "The spell?"

The older woman nodded and performed the complex spell.

"Mrs. Malfoy, if you two will just sign this parchment, the marriage will be automatically annulled."

Hermione reached forward and signed. She handed the quill to Draco. "Have you forgotten what will happen to you and your professor if your little secret comes out?"

"Oh no I haven't forgotten Draco, now sign the parchment please." She smiled sweetly. She knew for a fact that one of the first things Narcissa, her unusual ally in all of this, had done was retract the law keeping Hermione and Severus apart.  
It had been hilarious to watch Lucius deliver the news to her on bended knee and promise never to bother her again.

"No! I want my inheritance you little mudblood whore." He sneered throwing the quill down.

"Fine, I'll just tell the daily prophet how much you want to be married to me, the mudblood witch who's carrying someone else's child." She patted her large stomach affectionately.

Draco looked around for a moment in panic and then huffed with defeat. He picked up the quill and signed the parchment storming from the room. Hermione took her copy of the annulment certificate and left the office. As she left, she was pulled aside by Draco.

"I'm going to get you for this. I'll make your life a living hell for doing this to me." He hissed as she pulled her arm from his grasp.

"Grow up Draco and leave me alone. My best friend killed Voldemort with the help of my fiancé and the man he thinks of as a father who even Voldemort was afraid of. I am extremely close to the three most powerful wizards in the world so I'd think twice about trying anything." She raised her eyebrows expectantly as he paled and backed away from her.

"This isn't over mudblood." He backed off down the corridor.

------------------------------------------------ o -----------------------------------------------

Severus had been spending most of his time with the company of the essays that lay in front of him since Lucius told him about the consummation of the wedding his son had confirmed. He was heartbroken. He couldn't believe that Hermione would betray him with Malfoy while she carried his child.

There was a knock on his office door that disturbed him from his thoughts.

"Enter." He called without looking up.

Pansy Parkinson walked into his office and sat on the chair opposite him.

Severus looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. "Miss Parkinson, is there something I can do for you?"

"Well yes actually professor, there is." She smirked and got up, walking to his side of the desk.

"And that is?" Severus looked at her, bored yet she continued oblivious.

"Well as you know, Draco and I had been seeing each other for more than a year before that filthy mu…ggle born wench came onto the scene. I miss the contact and since he told me that he's sleeping with her, well I can't hold my jealousy. I just need to be held professor. Will you hold me?" She asked as she clambered onto his lap.

"What are you doi…" He was cut off by a kiss. A very strong willed kiss as pansy stuck her tongue into his mouth. He pulled away as soon as he realized what was going on. "Miss Parkinson get off me at once." He hissed. "That was totally inappropriate. I am not some sort of toy you can get because that Malfoy idiot has gotten married and left you now go back to the common room this instant before I owl your parents." She scrambled off him and fled. She had been sure that he would be absolutely gagging for it. After all, who would shag him? She was doing him a favour really.

One witch had wanted to be with him but she wasn't so sure after what she had just seen.

Hermione couldn't believe it. She had gone to tell Severus the good news but had partially walked in on him kissing another student. How many did he have on the go? Was she just one of a long line of eager to please young girls that were willing to have detentions with him? She had fled before seeing any more. She didn't want to confront him, she just wanted to leave the castle and never come back.

She spent the remainder of the day in Professor McGonagall's office arraigning the possibility of taking her apprenticeship elsewhere. The Deputy head had agreed to look into it and had promised to keep her intentions to herself for now.

A/n – stupid Pansy, and stupid Hermione, thinking he would betray her with that hoe!!


	20. Chapter 20

A/n - not much left now!!! dont worry folks i have another story in the works, ive even got the first couple of chapters ready. just needs the last half typing up. thanks for the reviews!

Draco kept quiet about the split of the marriage and so Hermione kept up the pretense of being married over the next two months. She had left the manor but whenever she went into the wizarding world, she answered to Mrs Malfoy.

As her stomach grew, so did her hurt at what Severus had done. She stayed at home with her parents whom she had told she needed some family time while they let things die down after her split with Draco. They had sensed that something was wrong but had kept quiet and supported her daughter.

Three weeks before her due date, Hermione was summoned to the castle to discuss her options with Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. She sighed and began to pack her things knowing that the Headmaster would think of some reason for her to stay for a few days. They had tried everything to get her back there in hopes of orchestrating a meeting with Severus. She had been forced to attend this time as she was due soon and would need to sort her life out soon.

Hermione hoped they had found someone for her to apprentice with. she had been looking forward to what Severus had planned for them. She packed the last of her things and levitated her suitcase downstairs. The headmaster had arranged to have her parents house hooked up to the floo network for the next hour so she could't afford to be late.

"Are you sure you are ok to travel like this Hermione. I remember when we were forced to travel through the fire. It was horrid and so dirty." Her mother said as she wrapped a scarf around hermione.

"Mom stop fussing. Please." Hermione smiled at her parents worried faces. "Its safer than driving at this stage in my pregnancy. We'll be fine wont we?" She stroked her bump which gave a bob in response.

"Active today isn't it?" Her father said proudly kissing her on the top of her head.

"Yes, it must know we're leaving the house." She grinned picking up the floo powder and throwing it into the flames.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Severus was a broken man.

He had heard nothing from Hermione. He had at least expected a secret owl or an attempted visit to him but no, after finishing her exams, she had disappeared. She hadn't spoken to him in nearly four months.

He knew that she would be due soon and he longed to see her rounded form and her unruly hair for one last time before their child was born.

Hermione came out of the Headmaster's office. He told her that she had received O's in everything. She could do whatever she wanted. Albus had owled her results out and found that almost any Potions Master would accept her due to having the highest marks in Hogwarts history. She contemplated which Potions Masters she would approach first as she headed for her old rooms. The Headmaster had offered to help her look over her application forms in the morning after a full evening's rest as she had predicted. He hadn't even asked her why she wasn't working with Severus anymore. He probably knew all about his betrayal and was trying not to hurt her.

Suddenly, Hermione hit something hard.

She hadn't been looking where she was going and bumped into Snape on her way around a corner. She was knocked off balance but stayed on her feet.

"Hermione?" Severus's face lit up. She was beautiful. Fully rounded in her pregnancy and glowing.

"Professor Snape." She greeted the man who had broken her heart coldly and went to carry on with her journey.

He gently pulled on her arm and forced her to look at him.

"Don't you even have a few minutes to talk to me? How's the baby?" He asked her, still surprised to bump into her in the hallway.

"What do you really want?" She asked. "Feeling lonely now that the students have left for the summer?"

"What's wrong?" Severus was confused.

"How's Pansy?" She replied not noticing the look of confusion in his eyes.

"Miss Parkinson?" He asked, his brow furrowing.

"Oh so you two play teacher and student do you?" She huffed. "Does she have to call you professor?"

"Hermione, I have absolutely no idea what you are going on about." He shook his head.

"Oh don't play dumb Severus, it's completely unbecoming of you." She moved to pass him and he stepped in front of her.

"Seriously, I don't know what you're talking about. What's made you so upset?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe it was walking in on you and Miss Parkinson all over each other in your office the day I annulled the marriage to Draco." She crossed her arms and looked away from him. "Was she a better kisser than me?"

"You think that we were… that's disgusting Hermione. She came on to me and I pushed her off. I'll take veriatserum if you don't believe me." He looked her in the eye. "Wait, annulled? You're not married anymore?"

Oh Lord what had she done!?

"You pushed her off? Oh… I ran away too quickly to see… of course… I should have known." Hermione looked sheepish. "Narcissa found a way to persuade Lucius. He retracted the law so I annulled the marriage. Unconsummated, it was even more worthless than I thought."

"Unconsummated?"

"Yes of course. You didn't thing I'd really sleep with that moron did you?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Well you thought I was having Pansy bloody Parkinson on the side." He folded his arms over his chest.

They both smirked.

"We've both been complete dunderheads haven't we?" Hermione looked up at Severus smiling.

"Yes but I'll never admit it so you'd better forget this whole thing." He closed the gap between them and bent down and kissed her.

"I love you Severus."

"And I you Hermione." He looked around the corridor before kneeling in front of her. "Hermione, will you marry me?"

"YES!!! Of course I will." He stood and she threw her arms around him, kissing his face all over. The kissed slowly and Severus slid his arms around his future wife. The extatic woman laced her hands through Severus's hair and moaned against him. Pushing her back towards the wall, he manoeuvred around his child growing within her and kissed her neck untill hermione pulled back panting.

"Perhaps, Hermione, we should take this back to my rooms and continue there?"

"Yes of course but I believe that I should rightfully tell you something first." She bit her lower lip.

"What is it?" He panicked.

"Well…imnlbor." She mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm in labor."

A/n – oh no!! Just when things were getting hot! Well they would have found it hard with her enormous stomach anyway! Hard but doable ;)


	21. Chapter 21

A/n - I can't believe it's nearly reached its end... sniff enjoy!

"WHAT?" Severus had never felt so out of control in his entire life.

"You heard me. I think that we should find our way to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione stated calmly.

"Oh Merlin's balls. You stay here, I'll go and get her, no you come too, I'll carry you. I'll fetch Albus, he'll know what to do." He headed down the corridor.

"Severus, wait!" She chuckled, scurrying after him. "It's going to be ages yet. I'm not even in much pain. We'll walk up together and see what she says." He looked at her with wide eyes and nodded, taking her arm in his and leading the way.

When they arrived in the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey confirmed what Hermione had been claiming all the way up to the infirmary. It would be a long time before the baby graced them with its presence but as it was coming early, she should stay there for Poppy to watch over.

"Its going to be ages?" Severus sat at Hermione's side holding her hand tightly.

"I've told you already, yes." Hermione answered as Severus's face lit up. "I've just had the best idea. You wait there." He hurried from the infirmary as Hermione called after him.

"Well I'm hardly going to pop to Hogsmeade for bit of shopping now am I?"

About ten minutes later, Severus returned with an extremely happy Albus following him.

"Severus, why is Albus here?" She winced as her contractions began to arrive closer and closer. "He he huu, he he huu." Hermione panted through a contraction.

"Well this way, our child won't be born out of wedlock." He raised an eyebrow at her confused expression as Albus walked to the foot of the bed.

"What… he's here to marry us?" She was shocked.

"Well he's here to perform the binding ceremony, then when the baby's a month old and we have the naming ceremony, we can have a wedding celebration as well." Severus sat on the bed next to her.

"Ok, I'll do it." Hermione smiled as he stroked her stomach.

"If you could both hold hands, Poppy, I'm guessing you'll witness for them?" Albus looked over at the now very weepy mediwitch.

"Of course I will." She sniffed.

An hour and three quaters later, Hermione and Severus gazed down at their daughter.

"She's so beautiful Hermione, she looks just like you."

"Except for her nose, that's not my nose. I don't know where she got that from." Hermione examined her daughter.

"Yes, I believe she can thank me for that one. That was what mine looked like before all the breaks." He stroked her tiny nose.

"All of the breaks? How many times did you break it?"

"Well between my father, Lucius Malfoy and Sirius Black, more than I care to remember." Severus heard Albus and Minerva coming up the corridor. "Have you thought of any names yet?"

"Well I was thinking of either Elizabeth or Katherine when I was at my mother's house but if there's a name you like, then we can discuss those."

"Did you know that my great grandmother was named Elizabeth?" Severus smiled.

"No I didn't. Well Elizabeth it is then." They decided as Minerva walked in.

"Where is she, where's my little lion cub?" She cooed as Hermione handed her the baby.

"Excuse me Minerva, but I think you'll find she's my little snake." He turned to the baby, "Isn't that right Beth?"

Hermione laughed at them both. "Beth?"

"Well I thought I'd save calling her Elizabeth until she becomes a moody teenager or gets in trouble at school. Its bound to happen if she takes after you in that respect. Sneaking about at all hours getting up to mischief." He smirked.

Minerva snorted. "You got into more trouble than Hermione ever did in your first year Severus Snape." She handed the bundle back to her smirking mother. "He got it into his head that he would get away with brewing hallucinogenics in the boys dorm and selling it to his fellow housemates for a small profit." She shook her head at him. "And don't even get me started in his second year. My word."

Hermione looked over at her husband. He was giving the head of Griffindor his snarkiest look. The one he reserved for anyone with the sirname of Longbottom.

Albus peered down at the tiny bundle. "No, I think she's going to be a Ravenclaw. With the intelligence of the two best students Hogwarts has ever seen, she's definitely going to be a Ravenclaw."

"Oh great. That's it now, Albus is never wrong. She's going to be a Ravenclaw." Severus grumbled. "But at least that's better than her being a Hufflepuff."

Hermione snickered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The naming ceremony went better than she thought. Harry and Ron both turned up and supported her choice of man once she told them that he was willing to go to jail for her. They still hated him but Hermione knew they would learn to tolerate him once they saw how much he obviously cared for her.

Afterwards, Hermione and Severus went back to their newly transformed rooms. Hermione took a shower while Severus put Beth down to sleep.

He collapsed onto the sofa and closed his eyes. Hermione, wrapped in a towel, slid onto his lap. She still had wet hair and it flicked his face.

"Well hello there. You seem to have forgotten to perform a drying charm my dear." He licked a droplet of water from her collarbone.

"Severus that tickles." She giggled as his tongue trailed down towards her chest.

"Mmmm I imagine it would." He started to kiss her neck.

Hermione moved to straddle him. As she shifted, she noticed that her state of dress had obviously aroused him.

"Oooh Severus, is that your wand or are you just happy to have me all wet and on your lap?" She cooed seductively.

"I think you know the answer Hermione and if you're not careful, I won't be able to stop myself from ravishing you."

"And what if I don't want you to stop yourself?" She sighed as Severus nipped at her earlobe.

He pulled back. "Hermione do you mean that?"

She looked him in the face and nodded kissing him softly. Severus stood up with her still in his arms and moved towards the bedroom.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/n – Its pretty much over now appart from some much deserved lemons in the next chapter!!! I hope you all enjoyed their journey and had fun taking it with them. thanks for all the kind words and support folks :)

Proudtobeamudblood


	22. Chapter 22

A/n - So here it is! the end!! Just to be clear, Severus did say in the last chapter that the naming ceremony would be about a month after the birth. When they decide to become physical again, it is just after the ceremony. Sorry if anyone was confused an thought they were getting down straight after she had given birth!!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me through this fic and all of you reviewers. I am completely thrown off by JKR's crazy killing spree in DH but hey thats what fanfic was created for. This was AU anyway as Sirius and Albus are in it. Not gonna go into detail about the book for those of you who haven't read it yet although some people's new story titles say it all :(

Here we go then...

-

Severus dropped his wife down onto their bed and looked down at her. He was so happy. He had the perfect child and the perfect partner for life. He had been through so much in his life and he knew, at that moment, he knew that she was his everything. She was his chance to redeem himself. If he could raise their daughter well and treat Hermione right, his hardships would be over.

"So are you going to join me or just stare at me in this sexy towel?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

Severus smirked at her and lifted his shirt over his head. He got onto the bed, lying on his side next to her and stroked her face.

"You know that being married and having a family doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to transform into a nice person Hermione?" He pulled some matted hair from her neck and kissed her collar bone.

"I'd think someone had stolen my husband and replaced him with an imposter if you did." She moaned as his tongue traced down to the top of the towel.

He pulled open the damp covering and looked down at her. He breathed in her scent and realised that she was aroused. They had been living together for the past month but she had been recovering from having Beth. They had been getting to know each other again and Severus had been taking things slowly. He didn't want to bring up memories of their first and only time together.

He slowly bought his tongue down to her nipple and took it into his mouth. She was still breast feeding and he could taste small droplets of the creamy substance. Hermione arched slightly into his mouth and reached for his trousers.

"Oh Severus." She whispered. "That feels amazing." She unbuttoned the garments in her way and pushed them down over his hips.

Severus lifted himself and she pushed them down to his knees. Kicking them off, the aroused man moved his mouth to the other breast while kneading the first with his hands. Flicking the nipple and squeezing the fleshy globe, he hissed as his wife grasped his hard organ with her tiny, soft hands. She pumped him gently and Severus rubbed up against her.

He moved one of his hands down to her mound and stroked the damp hairs. He parted her and slipped a finger inside. Hermione made a choked sound and the dark haired man moved up and kissed her. He slipped his tongue unto her mouth and looked into her eyes. He softly slipped another finger into her and felt her hand stop moving on his manhood. He was glad at this point as he wasn't sure he could last much longer while gazing into her passion filled eyes. He could see the love for him there too and kissed her deeply.

Hermione whimpered into his mouth. She could feel the passion for her husband building inside of her. His fingers were twisting and pumping in and out. His thumb caressed her clitoris and rubbed it gently. With his other hand still working her breast and his tongue darting in and out of her mouth she was encased in bliss.

She could feel herself nearing her peak. It was the most exquisite thing she had ever felt. Her husband's hands were so skilled that she thanked Merlin that he loved her.

"Oh Gods Severus, that... oh that's incredible" She exhaled strongly and took another deep breath. It felt as though he was strumming a pleasurefull tune on her body.

With a loud shriek, she burst over his hand dripping onto the sheets below her. Her body, wet with sweat heaving as she tried to resume control during the aftershocks of her orgasm.

Severus smirked and kissed her on the mouth. He was harder than he had ever been. He could feel the blood pulsing towards his cock. Hermione caught her breath and he kissed her again.

"Oh Severus. I need to feel you inside me now. I ache for you. Please."

He responded by moving in between her legs. Whispering a contraceptive charm and wandlessly casting it over her abdomen, he placed himself at her entrance and looked into her eyes.

"I love you Hermione." He thrust deep inside her.

She was so tight that he thought he would come right there and then. He considered this as their first time even though they already had a child together.

This was their first time together willingly and lovingly.

He slowly withdrew and thrust in again causing her to gasp at his girth. The loving husband found a comfortable pace and continued to make love to the woman he worshipped. She was the mother of his daughter and for that he would be eternally grateful. He poured all of the emotion he could into his actions. Caressing her and making love to her.

He could feel her muscles clenching around him in her pre-release and quickened his pace. He thrust into her hard and felt her coming. Joining her in her ecstasy, Severus released his seed into the woman writhing beneath him.

He now truly understood the meaning of the act. He understood the difference between what he had been doing to other women for years and what he and Hermione were doing.

This was true devotion.

The end

A/n - thanks again for reading folks :)


End file.
